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    Ingredient guide · Ingredient reference

    Which herbs contain the most magnesium? Compare realistic servings

    Dried basil, dill weed and sage are magnesium-rich by weight in the USDA reference records inspected. However, a teaspoon of dried herb weighs very little: its magnesium contribution is usually only a few milligrams. Use herbs for flavor and dietary variety rather than as the main way to meet magnesium needs.

    Read the evidence ↓

    Supplement Science Insights Editorial Team

    Published September 23, 2026

    A defined ranking, not every herb in existence

    Among the selected dried culinary herbs in USDA SR Legacy 2018, magnesium per 100 grams was 711 mg for basil, 451 mg for dill weed, 428 mg for ground sage, 400 mg for parsley and 377 mg for ground savory. These are historical reference estimates, not a laboratory measurement of your jar or an exhaustive ranking of every plant. [1]

    Teaspoons change the practical comparison

    The database teaspoon portions correspond to about 5 mg for dried basil leaves, 4.5 mg for dill weed, 3 mg for ground sage, 2 mg for dried parsley and 5.3 mg for ground savory. Different densities explain why the order changes when portions replace equal weights. Grinding and how tightly a spoon is filled also affect actual amounts. [1]

    Fresh and dried weights are not interchangeable

    The inspected fresh-basil record contains 64 mg per 100 grams, but its two-tablespoon chopped portion weighs 5.3 grams and contributes about 3.4 mg. Drying concentrates nutrients per weight as water is removed; it does not mean an ordinary sprinkle supplies a full dietary requirement. [1]

    Build the meal around larger food contributions

    NIH identifies foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and leafy green vegetables as magnesium sources. Herbs can make these foods appealing. Concentrated herbal extracts are not nutritionally interchangeable with a culinary serving, and taking large quantities of an herb is not necessary to obtain magnesium. [2]

    Calculate the serving rather than trusting a headline

    Imagine a dried herb contains 400 mg per 100 grams and the portion is 0.5 grams. Multiplying 400 by 0.5 and dividing by 100 gives 2 mg. A high per-100-gram number therefore need not mean a high contribution from a normal serving. [1]

    Hypothetical example — calculate a small herb portion
    MeasureHypothetical amount
    Magnesium per 100 g400 mg
    Portion weight0.5 g
    Calculation400 × 0.5 ÷ 100
    Magnesium in portion2 mg
    Which herbs contain the most magnesium? Compare realistic servings — original article outline diagram
    Original editorial diagram of this article’s sections; no product photograph or clinical finding is depicted.

    Sources for this article

    1. USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 2018: selected culinary herbs
      Source consulted: 2026-09-21. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    2. Magnesium - Health Professional Fact Sheet
      Source consulted: 2026-09-21. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.