Leafy greens, whole grains, nuts and seeds. If you aren’t eating these foods regularly, your diet may be lacking in magnesium. Nearly half of Americans fall short of their daily need for this mineral, according to the Department of Agriculture. Men should get 420 mg daily and women 320 mg.

Insufficient magnesium can have widespread consequences. 

“Most people will feel better and their health will improve if their magnesium intake is in an ideal range,” says James O’Keefe, MD, medical director of Saint Luke’s Charles & Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Read the full Washington Post article: Magnesium: ‘An Essential Nutrient’ for Your Body