By Darren McArthur, Real McArthur, an Australian family business making natural products for over 25 years · Published 25 September 2026 · Last updated 30 September 2026 · Sourced from published studies and our own lab certificate
Our Kakadu plum, lab tested: 121mg of natural vitamin C in every gram, 60mg in every capsule, against an adult need of 45mg a day. Gram for gram, 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange.
The most magnesium rich foods are seeds and nuts, then dark chocolate, legumes, wholegrains and leafy greens. Among everyday magnesium foods, hulled hemp seeds lead at 700mg per 100g, then pumpkin seeds at 592mg, then an Australian native most lists miss: the Kakadu plum seed, measured at 421mg per 100g in a peer-reviewed 2018 study.[3]
Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems in the human body. That is not a marketing claim. It is the National Institutes of Health’s own figure for how many biochemical processes depend on this one mineral.[1] Protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose regulation, energy production, blood pressure and DNA synthesis all need magnesium to run.
About one in three Australians don’t get enough of it, according to the most recent national survey (ABS, 2011–12).[6] The recommended daily intake is 310 to 420mg depending on age and sex. Magnesium isn’t rare; the foods highest in it just tend to be eaten in small amounts, and the supplement shelf has turned it into a confusing list of types.
Foods High in Magnesium, Ranked: What 100g Actually Looks Like
Nutrition tables list magnesium per 100g, but 100g means something different for every food. Here is the same data with real serving sizes and the share of an adult man’s daily intake (420mg) each serve provides.
| Food | Per 100g | Typical serve | Per serve | % of 420mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemp seeds, hulled | 700mg | 30g (3 tbsp) | 210mg | 50% |
| Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) | 592mg | 28g (small handful) | 166mg | 40% |
| Kakadu plum seed kernel | 421mg | 15g (1 tbsp) | 63mg | 15% |
| Flaxseeds | 392mg | 10g (1 tbsp) | 39mg | 9% |
| Chia seeds | 335mg | 15g (1 tbsp) | 50mg | 12% |
| Cashews | 292mg | 28g (small handful) | 82mg | 20% |
| Almonds | 270mg | 28g (about 23 almonds) | 76mg | 18% |
| Dark chocolate (70%+) | 228mg | 30g (2 to 3 rows) | 68mg | 16% |
| Peanuts | 168mg | 28g | 47mg | 11% |
| Spinach, cooked | 87mg | 180g (1 cup) | 157mg | 37% |
| Black beans, cooked | 70mg | 170g (1 cup) | 119mg | 28% |
| Quinoa, cooked | 64mg | 185g (1 cup) | 118mg | 28% |
| Edamame, cooked | 64mg | 155g (1 cup) | 99mg | 24% |
| Tofu, firm | 58mg | 100g | 58mg | 14% |
| Brown rice, cooked | 43mg | 195g (1 cup) | 84mg | 20% |
| Lentils, cooked | 36mg | 198g (1 cup) | 71mg | 17% |
| Avocado | 29mg | 100g (half) | 29mg | 7% |
| Banana | 27mg | 118g (1 medium) | 32mg | 8% |
| Egg | 12mg | 50g (1 egg) | 6mg | 1% |
| Milk | 11mg | 250ml (1 cup) | 27mg | 6% |
Grouped the way dietitians group them: seeds and nuts, chocolate, greens, legumes and wholegrains, fruit, eggs and dairy. Kakadu plum seed from Akter et al. 2018; everything else USDA FoodData Central.[3][7]
Seeds dominate the top of the list because a seed is the plant’s nutrient store: everything needed to grow a new plant is packed inside it. The Kakadu plum seed kernel sits behind hemp and pumpkin seeds but ahead of most other common foods, and it carries about twice the magnesium of the dried fruit around it (421mg against 204mg per 100g).
On this page
How Much Magnesium Do You Need?
The Australian recommended dietary intakes are 310 to 320mg a day for adult women and 400 to 420mg for adult men, rising to 350 to 360mg during pregnancy.[2] The upper limit applies only to magnesium from supplements: 350mg a day, above which loose stools become likely.[2] There is no upper limit for magnesium from food.
What Type of Magnesium Is in Food?
The supplement shelf sells magnesium under at least seven different names. It helps to know what they are, and how food magnesium compares.
The 7 supplement types
- Magnesium glycinate (bisglycinate): magnesium bonded to glycine, an amino acid. Well absorbed and gentle on the stomach. The most searched magnesium supplement in Australia, often marketed for sleep.
- Magnesium citrate: bonded to citric acid. Good absorption; in higher doses it has a mild laxative effect. One of the best-studied forms.
- Magnesium malate: bonded to malic acid, which takes part in the body’s energy cycle (the Krebs cycle).
- Magnesium threonate: a newer form that crosses into the brain more readily than others, and is being researched for memory.
- Magnesium oxide: the cheapest form, with low absorption (around 4%). Mainly used as a laxative.
- Magnesium chloride: used in flakes and sprays for the skin, as well as by mouth.
- Magnesium taurate: bonded to taurine, an amino acid.
What type is in food?
None of the above. In food, magnesium isn’t manufactured into a named chemical form; it arrives naturally held within the food. In the Kakadu plum, there are two main natural forms:
Protein-chelated magnesium. Seeds are high in protein, and magnesium is naturally bonded to amino acids in the food matrix. That is the same mechanism magnesium glycinate is engineered to copy: magnesium bonded to an amino acid. In the seed, it happens without the manufacturing step. The Kakadu plum seed kernel is 32% protein.[3]
Chlorophyll-bound magnesium. Magnesium is the atom at the centre of every chlorophyll molecule, the green pigment in plants. It sits in a ring structure called a porphyrin, which gives chlorophyll its shape and function. Kakadu plum contains 19.49mg of chlorophyll per 100g.[4] This form of magnesium is found only in green plant foods, and none of the seven common supplement forms is chlorophyll-bound.
Seeds also contain phytic acid, which can bind minerals and reduce how much the body absorbs. Vitamin C is proven to counter phytate for iron: vitamin C contributes to the absorption of iron from food.[5] Whether it does the same for magnesium hasn’t been settled by research.
Why the Kakadu Plum Seed Is Unusual
Most high-magnesium seeds, like pumpkin, hemp and flaxseed, are eaten as foods on their own. Their magnesium is in the seed, and that is the whole story.
The Kakadu plum seed is different because of what grows around it. The fruit holds the highest recorded natural vitamin C of any fruit tested: our independently lab-tested powder measures 12,100mg per 100g, gram for gram 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange. One 500mg capsule delivers 60mg of vitamin C.[9] No pumpkin or hemp seed comes with vitamin C like that.
The seed also carries calcium (539mg per 100g), phosphorus (873mg), potassium (669mg), zinc (6.0mg, 10 times the fruit flesh), copper (2.5mg, 8 times) and manganese (9.1mg). These minerals don’t arrive on their own: they come with 32% protein, 35% fat (four-fifths unsaturated), 21% fibre, and the polyphenols of the whole fruit.[3]
Why Our Capsules Contain the Whole Fruit, Seed and All
Most Kakadu plum products use only the dried fruit flesh. Ours uses whole fruit powder: fruit and seed kernel together, ground to the same fine powder, with no grit. That costs more and takes more work.
We do it because the numbers are worth it. The published data proves it: the seed holds more than the fruit in 7 of 8 minerals, magnesium included (421mg against 204mg per 100g). That is why we keep the seed: the whole fruit, seed and all, gives you more than either part alone. See the full seed breakdown →
Real McArthur Kakadu plum capsules: whole fruit and seed, 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange, gram for gram, plus the seed’s magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and manganese. 140 capsules, one a day, 46 cents a day. Shop Kakadu Plum Capsules →
For everything else in the fruit, see our antioxidant rich foods page, our tannins page, and the protein comparison on our plant based protein page. Every nutrient, one at a time: Kakadu plum nutrition →
Questions People Ask About Magnesium Rich Foods
What one food is highest in magnesium?
Hulled hemp seeds, at 700mg per 100g, top the everyday foods, followed by pumpkin seeds (592mg) and the Kakadu plum seed kernel (421mg). Three tablespoons of hemp seeds give you about 210mg, half an adult man’s daily need.
How can I raise my magnesium quickly?
Add a handful of pumpkin seeds, almonds or cashews, a cup of cooked beans or spinach, or a few squares of dark chocolate to your day. Each of those servings gives you roughly 70 to 170mg.
Is a banana a day enough magnesium?
No. A medium banana has about 32mg of magnesium, around 8% of an adult man’s daily 420mg. A small handful of pumpkin seeds has about five times as much.
Are eggs high in magnesium?
No. One egg has about 6mg of magnesium. Seeds, nuts, beans, wholegrains and leafy greens are far better sources.
What drink is high in magnesium?
Some mineral waters and cocoa made with soy milk carry useful magnesium, but the amount varies a lot by brand, so check the label. Food, especially seeds and nuts, is a far more reliable source.
What are the signs of being low in magnesium?
Early signs of low magnesium include loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness and weakness, and a longer shortfall can bring numbness, tingling and muscle cramps, according to the US National Institutes of Health. These signs have many causes, so see your doctor if you’re concerned.
What are the 7 signs your body needs magnesium?
The US National Institutes of Health lists loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, weakness, and later numbness and tingling, and muscle cramps. That’s seven, though each has many other causes, so a doctor’s check is the only way to know.
What do you crave if magnesium is low?
Chocolate is often linked to low magnesium online, but there’s no solid evidence for a specific craving. Dark chocolate does carry 228mg of magnesium per 100g, which is real.
What depletes magnesium the most?
Heavy alcohol use, some medicines such as diuretics and long-term reflux tablets, digestive conditions that affect absorption, and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, according to the US National Institutes of Health. Older adults also absorb less.
What type of magnesium is best?
There’s no single best. Glycinate is gentle and well absorbed, citrate is well studied, malate is bonded to malic acid, threonate is being researched for memory, taurate is bonded to taurine, chloride is used on the skin, and oxide is cheap but poorly absorbed. In food, magnesium doesn’t come in these forms at all; it arrives naturally held within the food, alongside protein, fibre and other minerals.
Is food magnesium better than supplements?
They do different jobs. Food delivers magnesium alongside protein, fibre and other minerals, and there’s no upper limit on magnesium from food. Seeds like pumpkin seeds and the Kakadu plum seed deliver magnesium naturally bonded to proteins, the same mechanism chelated supplements such as glycinate are made to copy. Supplements give a concentrated, isolated dose, useful when intake is consistently low, with an upper limit of 350mg a day for adults. For most people with a varied diet, food sources have the advantage of arriving with everything else the food contains.
What is magnesium glycinate?
Magnesium glycinate (also called magnesium bisglycinate) is a supplement form in which magnesium is chemically bonded to glycine, an amino acid. Bonding to an amino acid is designed to improve absorption compared with cheaper forms like magnesium oxide, and to be gentler on the stomach. It’s one of the most searched magnesium supplements in Australia. In food, magnesium is naturally bonded to proteins and their amino acids, so protein-rich seeds deliver magnesium in a similar way, without the manufacturing step.
What does magnesium do in the body?
Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems, the National Institutes of Health’s own figure. It’s needed for protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function including the heart muscle, blood glucose control, blood pressure, energy production, and making DNA and RNA. About 60% of the body’s magnesium sits in bone, where it’s part of normal bone structure.
How much magnesium do you need per day?
Australian adult women need 310 to 320mg a day and adult men 400 to 420mg, and pregnant women 350 to 360mg. The upper limit from supplements is 350mg a day. A small handful of pumpkin seeds provides about 166mg, a small handful of almonds about 76mg, and a tablespoon of Kakadu plum seed kernel about 63mg.
Does vitamin C help magnesium absorption?
That hasn’t been proven. What is proven is that vitamin C contributes to the absorption of iron from food, partly by countering phytate, the compound in seeds that can bind minerals. The Kakadu plum carries both a magnesium-rich seed and exceptional vitamin C in the one fruit.
Our products are food, not therapeutic goods, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
References
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Magnesium.
- Akter S et al. Chemical and Nutritional Composition of Kakadu Plum Kernels. Foods, 2018.
- Konczak I, Zabaras D, Dunstan M et al. Health Benefits of Australian Native Foods. RIRDC (Australian Government) Pub. No. 09/133, Sept 2009.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Standard 1.2.7; Hallberg L, Brune M, Rossander L. The role of vitamin C in iron absorption. Int J Vitam Nutr Res Suppl. 1989;30:103–8.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Health Survey: Usual Nutrient Intakes, 2011–12 (one in three Australians aged 2 and over below the average requirement for magnesium).
- USDA FoodData Central, magnesium per 100g.
- Accredited Australian laboratory. Certificate of Analysis: Terminalia ferdinandiana Whole Fruit Powder. 12,100mg/100g ascorbic acid (HPLC). Held on file.
Looking for magnesium on your skin? See our Paw Paw Magnesium Body Cream.