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Is Dark Chocolate Really A Good Source Of Magnesium?

Is Dark Chocolate A Source of Magnesium

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What’s Best Dark Chocolate For Magnesium?

This is a setting-the-record-straight kind of post. It’s the season of chocolate (dark chocolate magnesium), and I want to address what is fast becoming a popular misconception.

Have you ever heard that dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium?

It’s true that relative to a lot of other foods, dark chocolate is high in magnesium (dark chocolate magnesium).

That is, to get about 100 mg of magnesium (a third or a quarter of what most adults need every day), you could have:

  • half a box of baby spinach leaves (i.e. a very, very large salad)
  • 1.5 cups of cooked lentils (really filling!)
  • …wait, whoa, two-thirds of a very large bar of dark chocolate!

What do I mean by ‘very large’?

You’re probably familiar with the Lindt chocolate bars that come in 70%, 80%, 90% cacao and other varieties. They’re everywhere. The tall, wide, thin bars that you break into reasonably sized squares.

You would have to eat ⅔ of a large Lindt bar to get 100 mg of magnesium. Not a good idea. It’s just too much chocolate!

THE HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE

Cacao powder is much more promising, offering about 40 mg of magnesium in each tablespoon.

You can add cacao to healthy, sugar-free foods every day (unlike Lindt bars). Here are a few ideas:

  • Try adding a tablespoon to smoothies, especially if you’re using a very sweet base, like frozen bananas, cherries, or Vega protein powders. The cacao balances some of that sweet.
  • In these chilly months, whip up some hot cacao using a plant-based milk and a low-glycemic or natural sweetener, like stevia or maple syrup.
  • Get creative with raw food desserts, like vegan puddings, dairy-free raw cheesecakes, brownies and other treats.

Just to be clear, though, I’m talking about raw cacao, a superfood – not dutch processed cocoa typically used in baking. In addition to powdered cacao, you can find raw cacao in ‘nibs’.

Be aware that just like sugary chocolate, cacao may confer a bit of a buzz. It does contain stimulants.

HOW MUCH MAGNESIUM CAN YOU REALLY GET FROM CACAO?

Realistically, even if you become a big-time raw cacao enthusiast, you probably won’t use more than a tablespoon a day, contributing about 10% of your magnesium needs.

So, the next time you hear that dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium, just smile. You and I both know now that magnesium isn’t the #1 reason to choose dark chocolate.

If you’re not getting enough magnesium-dense foods every day – or if you’re experiencing symptoms of magnesium deficiency, try Natural Calm.

Chocolate and Magnesium FAQs

We all love an excuse to eat more chocolate, and did you know – high-quality dark chocolate is actually an excellent source of magnesium? Indeed, dark chocolate can contain as much as 64mg of magnesium in a 28 gram service, which meets approximately 16% of the Canadian RDA for magnesium. One of the best dark chocolates for magnesium content is Lindt 90 dark chocolate, although most dark chocolates will still offer a good dose.

Dark chocolate can be an excellent source of magnesium for many people, providing as much as 64mg in a 28-gram serving. It also provides a variety of other minerals such as iron, copper, and manganese. The exact dosage of magnesium will of course vary from brand to brand; indeed, one of the best dark chocolate options for magnesium is Lindt 90 dark chocolate.

Many foods are rich in magnesium. Bananas, for example, offer a generous amount of magnesium each. As a pleasant surprise, dark chocolate – especially premium brand dark chocolates, such as the Lindt 90 dark chocolate – is an excellent source of magnesium, providing up to 16% of your daily magnesium RDA per ounce. If there was ever an excuse to eat more chocolate, we won’t say no!

Dark chocolate is regularly said to be an excellent health food, but do you know how much magnesium is found in dark chocolate? Surprisingly, the answer is actually very high – a one-ounce portion of premium dark chocolate, such as the Lindt 90 dark chocolate, can contain as much as 16% of your daily magnesium RDA. The best dark chocolates for magnesium are those which are very high in cocoa percentage.

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