Bread is a staple food in many households around the world. You might be wondering if bread has any nutritional value other than being just filling? Specifically, does it contain magnesium, an important mineral that regulates various functions in our body? In this article, we explore whether bread has magnesium or not.
What is Magnesium and Why Do We Need It?
Magnesium is a vital mineral found in every cell of our body. It plays an essential role in maintaining healthy bones, nerves, muscles and heart function. Furthermore, it helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduces inflammation. Lack of sufficient magnesium intake can lead to several health problems including muscle cramps, anxiety and even osteoporosis.
How Much Magnesium Do We Need Daily?
The recommended daily intake (RDI) of magnesium varies depending on sex and age group:
- Males aged 19-30 years require 400mg/day
- Females aged 19-30 years require 310mg/day
- Pregnant women need more magnesium - up to 350–360 mg per day
- Adults over 31 years old should aim for approximately 320mg for females
Which Foods Contribute Towards Your Daily Intake Of Magnesium?
Some of the top dietary sources that are rich with this crucial mineral are:
| Food Item | Mg/serving |
|---|---|
| Almonds | 78 |
| Spinach | 157 |
| Avocado | 58 |
| Yogurt | 38 |
As shown above, spinach contains almost half your RDI with just one serving! To add some context into how much spinach this equates too – generally about two cups or handfuls (roughly about eighty-five grams). Other examples include avocados, which pack roughly as much nutrition as spinach – they’re an incredibly versatile and healthy food that’s worth incorporating into your diet.
Does Bread Have Magnesium?
Now, as to our bread query – it's a bit tricky to answer. To understand better, we need first to look at the different types of flour used in making bread.
Whole Wheat Flour
Whole wheat flour contains approximately 160mg/100 grams of magnesium. As whole wheat flour is less refined than regular white flour used for producing other varieties of bread options such as brown, rye or sourdough - this means more nutrients are present! Note, however – although it has significant amounts per gram over regular white counterparts - this amount does not constitute greatness enough quantity-wise to achieve daily recommended levels through one serving alone.
White Flour
White Flour commonly lacks vitamins and minerals due to its processing; these valuable elements get removed during manufacturing delvings . Which explains why it only possesses minuscule amounts (20 mg /100 g) irrespective of our calcium/magnesium expectations from the touted “staff-of-life” item – ye olde' sandwich material otherwise known as Wonderbread!
As you can see, brown/dark loaves have increased Mg content compared with their processed bleached-white alternatives. However, if measured by weight alone then compared against other high Mg containing foods such as nuts/seeds/avocado etc., still not distinguished overall but reached almost on par with plain jelly topping fare available near pre-made PB&J sandwiches at corner stores everywhere!
How Can You Increase Your Magnesium Intake With Bread?
If you're looking for an easy way to boost your magnesium intake without resorting solely upon spinach leaves every day (we get tired sometimes!), here listed below are some recipes ideas for enhancing your nutritional interest in baked goods:
1) Sandwiches made from whole grain or multigrain breads. 2) Try out seeded toppings like sunflower seeds/sesame seeds/flax-seeds quinoa on top of your root ingredients which as a practical bonus, adds needed fiber/mg balance. 3) Try adding pumpkin or sunflower seeds to home-made bread – they not only add some crunch, but make a great healthy addition too extra added boosts for necessary nutrition/metabolic benefits overall.
Conclusion
To sum things up: While white flour based baked goods like pastries and cakes shouldn't be considered sources of magnesium. However, higher Mg-containing options such as sourdough and whole-grain bread are superior alternatives for those looking to get more out of their carbohydrate intake while ensuring against deficiency symptoms . There's yet much research to dive into before we can finally proclaim the value-added proposition around dark/wholewheat variety slice(s). Still, it’s well established that these healthier options remain relevant players within human dietary habits and nutrient fulfillment duties for everyone seeking better health maintenance régime with exciting flavor worth exploring today!