FOODS HIGH IN CALCIUM
Foods high in calcium include not only dairy products and soy drinks but also green vegetables and legumes. As vitamin D3 is essential for absorbing calcium, supplements may be necessary to complement even the best diet.
What are the foods high in calcium in addition to dairy? The recommended 1,500 mg of calcium (encouraged for women over fifty) is best found in a varied diet that may or may not include milk products. Below are some super-foods…with the calcium content as reported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. FOODS HIGH IN CALCIUM INCLUDE MOST DAIRY PRODUCTS Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium for people who are not lactose intolerant. And milk products also have the benefit of being fortified with vitamin D which is essential for absorbing calcium. But the amount of calcium within our dairy products decreases with the increase of fat content…which is great news for people trying to control their weight! Milk Milk(1 Cup skim): 504 mg. Milk (1 Cup 1%): 290 mg. Yogurt (8 oz plain, skim): 452 Yogurt (8 oz. plain, whole): 275 mg. Cheese Ricotta (1 Cup part skim): 509 mg. Cottage Cheese (1 Cup 2%): 206 mg. Swiss Cheese (1 oz.): 224 mg. Mozzarella (1 oz. part skim): 207 mg. Mozzarella (1 oz. whole): 143 mg. Cheddar (1 oz.): 204 mg. Feta (1 oz.): 141 mg. Brie (1 oz.) 52 mg. FOODS HIGH IN CALCIUM INCLUDE SOME DRINKS People who avoid dairy products may prefer a calcium-fortified nondairy beverage such as soy milk or orange juice. But soy drinks are not a replacement for green vegetables or tofu as they contain much less magnesium (if any) which is needed to build high quality bone tissue. And they don't contain the vitamin K needed to push the calcium into the bones. Soymilk (1 cup) soymilk (lowfat): 199 mg. calcium soymilk (nonfat): 282 mg. calcium & 24 mg. magnesium Studies have shown that calcium in soy milk is absorbed at 75% of the efficiency of the calcium in cow’s milk…possibly due to the use of vitamin D2 rather than the D3 used in milk. Orange Juice (1 cup-300 mg.calcium) Fortified juices can vary substantially in the type of calcium that is used in the product. Researchers at Creighton University found that women who drank juice fortified with calcium citrate malate absorbed 48 percent more calcium than those that drank juice fortified with the tricalcium phosphate/calcium lactate group. Tropicana is a well known brand that uses calcium citrate malate to fortify its juices.
It is important to shake calcium fortified drinks as the calcium can settle on the bottom. FOODS HIGH IN CALCIUM INCLUDE VEGETABLES AND LEGUMES Research suggests that magnesium is essential for creating high quality bone tissue while vitamin K helps to push calcium into the bones and keep it out of the arteries. Leafy green vegetables are an outstanding source of both calcium and vitamin K while tofu and beans are an excellent source of calcium and magnesium-especially if the tofu is made with calcium sulfate. Greens (1 cup boiled & drained) Collard (190 g.): 266 mg.calcium & 836 ug vitamin K Rapini/Broccoli raab (100 g.): 118 mg.calcium & 256 ug vitamin K Kale (130g.): 94 mg.calcium & 1062 ug vitamin K Bok Choy-Chinese Cabbage (170g.): 158 mg.calcium & 57ug. vit.K Broccoli (1 stalk 180g.): 72 mg.calcium & 254 ug. vitamin K Tofu (1 cup) Tofu (firm-magnesium chloride): 506 mg. calcium & 94 mg. magnesium Tofu (soft-magnesium chloride): 275 mg. calcium & 67 mg. magnesium Tofu (firm-calcium sulfate): 1722 mg. calcium & 146 magnesium Tofu (regular-calcium sulfate): 868 mg. calcium & 75 mg. magnesium Beans and legumes provide an excellent source of calcium and magnesium but lack the strong complement of vitamin K found in leafy greens. Beans and Legumes (1cup canned or cooked) Soybeans (172g.): 175 mg.calcium & 148 mg. magnesium White beans (262 g.): 191 mg.calcium & 134 mg. magnesium Baked beans (246 g.):138 mg.calcium & 84 mg. magnesium Chickpeas/Garbanzo (240 g.): 77 mg.calcium & 70 mg. magnesium Red kidney beans (256 g.): 64 mg.calcium & 72 mg. magnesium Lentils cooked (198 g.):38 mg. calcium & 71 mg. magnesium Seaweed If you like Japanese or Korean food, you will find that 100 grams of dried seaweed provides the very best combination of calcium and magnesium...although not all seaweed is created equal. Seaweed (agar): 625 mg. calcium & 770 mg. magnesium Seaweed (spirulina): 120 mg. calcium & 195 mg. magnesium
To learn about supplements that complement foods high in calcium....visit Osteoporosis Treatment Guidelines.
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