A study done by Menaker and Kleiner published in Pro. Soc. A high protein diet could even induce acute magnesium deficiency symptoms, because magnesium is involved in important amino acid transformations. With our country growing more affluent and people eating more meat, the magnesium deficiency seem to be increasing year by year. This may provide some explanation why people who seem to have so much to live for work themselves up into emotional states in which they kill themselves. It should be noted that large amounts of calcium, too, aggravate magnesium deficiency.
Milk has very little if any magnesium.
People on weight-watching diets that emphasize proteins and skimmed milk should be careful to include plenty of magnesium. The best source of magnesium is fresh green vegetables, but much of this heat-sensitive mineral is lost in the cooking water. Raw wheat germ is an excellent source, but this nutrient is lost in the flour refining process. Nuts, especially almonds, are naturally rich in magnesium, but they lose some in the roasting process. On the basis of his findings, Dr. Barnett recommends 600 milligrams a day.