Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body, with 99 percent of your total supply sequestered in your bones and teeth. However, the remaining 1 percent fulfills essential roles in your other tissues. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, calcium's functions are so vital to your survival that your body will remove it from your bones to maintain normal calcium blood levels when your dietary intake is inadequate. While milk and cheese are known for being rich in calcium, other foods also supply this mineral.
Dairy
Milk and cheese are justifiably promoted as excellent sources of calcium. Other dairy products, such as yogurt and puddings, are also good sources. One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt contains 415 mg of calcium. In addition to generous doses of calcium, dairy products also contain protein and magnesium in proportions that encourage its absorption, and many are fortified with vitamin D, which further improves calcium absorption. In his book, "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," Elson Haas, M.D., states that the lactose found in dairy products also enhances calcium absorption, but this sugar cannot be digested by some people and causes gas, bloating, abdominal cramping and diarrhea in lactose-intolerant individuals. If you have trouble digesting regular milk, calcium-fortified soy or almond milk is an alternative.
Nuts and Seeds
Many nuts and seeds are good sources of calcium. For example, a serving of six to eight Brazil nuts contain around 45 mg of calcium, while 1 oz. of almonds -- approximately 24 nuts -- contains 70 mg. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium, but you probably wouldn't consume enough at one sitting to significantly boost your calcium intake. The phosphorus content of most nuts and seeds is about twice that of calcium, which may slow calcium absorption somewhat.
Fruits and Vegetables
Many plant foods are rich in calcium, but those that contain oxalates bind the calcium, rendering it unavailable for absorption from your intestine. For this reason, spinach, chard, beet greens and similar dark leafy greens are not particularly good calcium sources, even though nutritional tables often list them as being high in calcium. In contrast, broccoli, cauliflower, peas and beans contain relatively lower amounts of calcium, but it is more readily absorbed from these foods. One cup of canned white beans or cooked soybeans offers nearly 200 mg of calcium, about one-fifth of your daily requirement. Raisins, raspberries, pineapple, oranges, papayas and several other fruits contain reasonable amounts. Many fruit juices, such as orange juice, are fortified with calcium.
Considerations and Recommendations
If you are lactose intolerant -- or if you find dairy products disagreeable -- you can get calcium from a variety of other foods. Recommended dietary allowances for calcium range from 200 mg daily for infants to 1,300 mg for children, adolescents and pregnant women. If you have a condition -- osteoporosis, for example -- that requires higher calcium intake than can be acquired from your diet, you may need to take a supplement. Ask your doctor or nutritionist if your calcium needs are being met.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute; Calcium; Jane Higdon; April 2003
- "Staying Healthy with Nutrition: Calcium"; Elson M. Haas, M.D.; 2006
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