The mineral calcium is vital in order to build strong, healthy bones and teeth. Bones provide the body with structure, offer protection to organs, anchor muscles and produce red blood cells. Teeth are essential for biting and chewing and aid in digestion. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests adults get 1000-1200 mg. of calcium per day. When the body is deficient in calcium, softening of the bones, called osteoporosis, can occur. Calcium can be found in a number of foods, including many herbs.
Calcium Powerhouses
Herbs are a rich source of calcium. Herbs are usually made from the aromatic leaf of the plant. The leaves are then dried and used whole, crumbled or ground. Dried herbs contain more calcium per tablespoon than fresh herbs because the water has been removed, leaving a higher concentration of the mineral. Large quantities of calcium can be found in culinary herbs such as ground savory (94 mg. per tablespoon), dried ground oregano (85 mg. per tablespoon), dried dill weed (55 mg. per tablespoon), dried thyme (51 mg. per tablespoon), dried oregano leaves (47 mg. per tablespoon), dried basil (44 mg. per tablespoon), dried rosemary (42 mg. per tablespoon), dried marjoram (34 mg. per tablespoon) and ground sage (33 mg. per tablespoon).
Calcium-Rich Herbs
Other herbs that contain a high amount of calcium include dried chervil (26 mg. per tablespoon), dried spearmint (24 mg. per tablespoon), dried parsley (23 mg. per tablespoon), dried coriander leaf (22 mg. per tablespoon), dried tarragon (20 mg. per tablespoon) and fresh bay leaf (15 mg. per tablespoon, crumbled).
Less Calcium-Rich Herbs
Other herbs that contain significant amounts of calcium are ground mace (13 mg. per tablespoon), ground turmeric (12 mg. per tablespoon), fresh spearmint (11 mg. per tablespoon), fresh thyme (10 mg. per tablespoon), fresh rosemary (5 mg. per tablespoon), fresh basil (4 mg. per tablespoon) and fresh peppermint (8 mg. per 2 tablespoons).
Medicinal Herbs Containing Calcium
Some herbs have medicinal value and have been used for centuries to treat ailments. Herbs containing the highest amounts of calcium are kelp (1,013 mg. per ounce), nettle leaf (966 mg. per ounce), horsetail (630 mg. per ounce), comfrey leaf (600 mg. per ounce), oatstraw (476 mg. per ounce), red clover (436 mg. per ounce), red raspberry (403 mg. per ounce), chickweed (403 mg per ounce), alfalfa (299 mg. per ounce), licorice (292 mg. per ounce), marshmallow (272 mg. per ounce), burdock (244 mg. per ounce), catnip (205 mg. per ounce) and skullcap (151 mg. per ounce). Most leafy green plants contain some amount of calcium.
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