Calcium food sources - List of calcium rich foods

Oct 15, 2014 Home › Calcium deficiency diseases › Calcium requirements › List of calcium rich food sources

Calcium is present in rich proportions in a variety of plant and animal food sources.

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We can certainly make a fairly long list of calcium rich food sources. Calcium, a very important mineral in bone metabolism, is also necessary for the neuromotor, cardiovascular, hematological, hepatic and nephrological functions of the human body. About 1,000 milligrams of the mineral is required daily for active men and women. In elderly people intestinal absorption of the nutrients decreases and the calcium requirement may increase to 1,200 milligrams per day.

As calcium absorption is interdependent on vitamin D status, for effective absorption and utilization of the mineral, sufficient vitamin D must be consumed. Depending upon the form of the mineral and also the presence of certain other nutrients, calcium absorption may get suppressed. If phytates and oxalates are present in the food, calcium may get bound to them and become unabsorbable. Boiling and fermentation can reduce the binding of the mineral to other nutrients. In many processed foods, calcium is added as part of the manufacturing process or added to increase the nutritive status.

List of 20 calcium rich foods

A list of very rich sources of the mineral is given below.

List of dairy sources

Yogurt
Cheese
Milk

List of animal sources

Sardines
Mackerel

List of plant sources

Tofu
Collard greens
Spinach
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Beet greens
Bok choy
Swiss chard
Kale
Sesame seeds
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Green beans
Oranges
Almonds

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Rich dairy sources

Except for the fat concentrates like butter and ghee, all dairy products contain rich amounts of calcium.
Eight ounces plain yogurt has about 400 mg.
Five ounces of mozzarella cheese contains 330 mg of the element.
Three ounces of cheddar cheese contains 600 mg.
One cup of cottage cheese contains about 140 mg of the mineral.
Eight ounces of whole milk contains about 280 mg of the mineral.
Eight ounces nonfat or low fat milk has about 300 mg.
Eight ounces of lowfat buttermilk has about 280 mg of this nutrient.

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Animal food sources

Among the animal sources, only fish yield rich amounts of calcium. The fleshy part of the fish is low in the mineral. The fish has to be consumed along with the soft bones to get the calcium.
Three ounces of sardines canned in oil, when taken with bones give 325 mg of the element.
Three ounces of canned salmon with bones contains 180 mg.

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Rich plant food sources

When compared plant foods are not as rich as animal sources. However certain leafy green vegetables have fairly rich amounts of calcium.
One cup of fresh boiled turnip greens contain about 200gm.
One cup of raw kale contains 100 mg.
Eight ounces of collard greens contain up to 350 mg of the mineral.
Eight ounces of green boiled soybeans may contain 175 mg.
Eight ounces of cooked Chinese cabbage (bok choy) has 160 mg.
One cup of canned white beans has 190 mg of the mineral.
One ounce of dry roasted almonds contain 75 mg.

Fortified food sources

Fortified milk (soymilk etc) has about 300 mg of calcium in eight ounces.
Rich fortified fruit juice contains up to 300 mg of the mineral in six ounces.
One cup of firm rich tofu made with calcium sulfate has about 500 mg of the mineral.
One cup of soft tofu made with calcium sulfate has about 280 mg.
Depending upon the level of fortification, ready-to-eat cereals may contain up to 1,000 mg of calcium.

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References:
1.http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/AppendixB.htm#appB4
2.http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/AppendixB.htm#appB5
3.http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/

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