Many new techniques and applications in magnetic resonance imaging of the body have been introduced in the last decade and, at the same time, a wide variety of contrast media have become available for different imaging strategies. The aim of this article is to review the current use of contrast agents in body MRI. Extracellular and hepatobiliary gadolinium chelates, as well as iron oxide-based contrast media, are discussed and their use in different areas of the body highlighted. Topics to be covered include breast imaging, imaging of the thorax and the mediastinum, and imaging of the upper abdomen, kidneys, and pelvis. Established applications as well as new emerging indications are discussed, and the impact on improved detection and characterization of pathologies is demonstrated.