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Essential mineral

Magnesium

Magnesium helps enzymes work and helps cells move calcium and potassium across their boundaries. These processes support nerve signals, muscle contraction and normal heart rhythm.

Read Magnesium in the Atlas explorer, with its charts

Measured in mg · Daily Value 420 mg

What it does, and how

  • Support the signals muscles use

    The same movement of charged particles across cell membranes matters for muscle contraction. Magnesium's role in that transport connects it to normal muscle function.

    Muscle contraction · Evidence

    Magnesium-dependent ion transport supports muscle contraction.

    Normal physiological role only; does not establish an effect of eating Kale.

    • Read sourceIntroduction: enzyme cofactors and ion transport for nerve conduction, contraction, normal heart rhythm paragraphs

    Sources for the explanation

  • Help chemical reactions run

    Magnesium is a helper, or cofactor, for hundreds of enzyme systems. These systems carry out tasks such as processing energy from food and making proteins.

    Enzyme cofactor activity · Evidence

    Magnesium is a cofactor for many enzyme systems.

    Normal physiological role only; does not establish an effect of eating Kale.

    • Read sourceIntroduction: enzyme cofactors and ion transport for nerve conduction, contraction, normal heart rhythm paragraphs

    Sources for the explanation

  • Support the movement of nerve signals

    Magnesium helps transport charged calcium and potassium particles across cell membranes. That movement is part of how nerve impulses travel.

    Nerve function · Evidence

    Magnesium-dependent ion transport supports nerve impulse conduction.

    Normal physiological role only; does not establish an effect of eating Kale. Supports conduction, not the full generic definition including signal processing.

    • Read sourceIntroduction: enzyme cofactors and ion transport for nerve conduction, contraction, normal heart rhythm paragraphs

    Sources for the explanation

  • Support the heart's normal electrical rhythm

    Heartbeats depend on coordinated electrical activity. Magnesium's involvement in moving calcium and potassium across cell membranes contributes to normal heart rhythm.

    Normal heart rhythm · Evidence

    Magnesium-dependent ion transport supports normal heart rhythm.

    Normal physiological role only; does not establish an effect of eating Kale.

    • Read sourceIntroduction: enzyme cofactors and ion transport for nerve conduction, contraction, normal heart rhythm paragraphs

    Sources for the explanation

Where it works in the body

A nutrient can take part in more than one body system. Follow a connection to see how its work fits together with other nutrients.

The body map groups established nutrient roles to help you explore; it does not predict a health outcome from eating a food. Evidence and mapping notes.

How does the body keep a supply? Learn about nutrient storage, depletion and replenishment.

Reference food in our crop catalog

Reference composition

Basis: raw edible food, per 100 g. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4+ where one exists; values above 100% are shown without capping. Reference amounts describe the USDA food, not a UCFarms harvest. “No DV” means there is no applicable Daily Value or conversion.

Sources & references (14)
  1. Spinach, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168462 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible spinach. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Spinach, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168462Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  2. Collards, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170406 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible collard greens. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Collards, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170406Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  3. Watercress, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170068 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible watercress. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Watercress, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170068Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  4. Basil, fresh, USDA FoodData Central 172232 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible basil. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Basil, fresh, USDA FoodData Central 172232Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  5. Strawberries, raw, USDA FoodData Central 167762 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible strawberries. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Strawberries, raw, USDA FoodData Central 167762Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  6. Mushrooms, oyster, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168580 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible oyster mushroom. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Mushrooms, oyster, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168580Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  7. Kale, raw: FoodData Central 323505 · USDA Agricultural Research ServiceReference databaseReference nutrient composition of raw kale, per 100 g edible portion.Source details in the Atlas: Kale, raw: FoodData Central 323505The audit used USDA’s Foundation Foods download. If this record link is unavailable, use the dataset or saved record below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/323505/nutrients
  8. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels · U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationGovernmentFDA Daily Values (adults and children 4+) used to compute % DV.Source details in the Atlas: Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labelshttps://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels
  9. Manganese: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary SupplementsGovernmentManganese as an enzyme cofactor.Source details in the Atlas: Manganese: Fact Sheet for Health Professionalshttps://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Manganese-HealthProfessional/
  10. Calcium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary SupplementsGovernmentCalcium's role in bone structure, muscle function and nerve transmission.Source details in the Atlas: Calcium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionalshttps://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/
  11. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary SupplementsGovernmentMagnesium's role as an enzyme cofactor and in nerve, muscle and heart-rhythm function.Source details in the Atlas: Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionalshttps://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium-HealthProfessional/
  12. Potassium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary SupplementsGovernmentPotassium's role in electrochemical gradients, nerve transmission, muscle contraction and heart function.Source details in the Atlas: Potassium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionalshttps://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/
  13. Foundation Foods JSON release 2026-04-30 · USDA Agricultural Research ServiceReference databaseSource details in the Atlas: Foundation Foods JSON release 2026-04-30https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_foundation_food_json_2026-04-30.zip
  14. Foundation Foods Documentation · USDA Agricultural Research ServiceReference databaseSource details in the Atlas: Foundation Foods Documentationhttps://fdc.nal.usda.gov/Foundation_Foods_Documentation/

The nutrition and biological information on this site is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice.