Calcium is the most abundant, if not the most important, mineral found in the human body. Calcium is required by the body to not only build new bones and teeth, but to regulate the size of the diameter of blood vessels, help muscles and nerves function properly, and for cells to transmit signals to each other and the brain. To provide the body with the calcium it needs, a variety of calcium rich foods must be consumed. While dairy products do provide calcium, many people are lactose intolerant, vegan, or cannot consume dairy products for other reasons. There are plenty of vegetables with calcium and fruits high in calcium to choose from.
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Inside the body, calcium levels are strictly regulated. Extra calcium is stored in the bones and teeth. Bones are constantly making new bone tissue through absorbing and depositing calcium and releasing calcium into the bloodstream where it is needed in the body. Children up to the age of about twelve years old have the highest rate of bone growth, while older adults have the highest rate of bone loss. This bone loss, if not corrected, leads to osteoporosis, the increased risk of bone fractures. Eating plenty of calcium- rich foods can reduce this risk substantially.
The National Academy of Sciences, now called the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies,recommends that healthy adult males get 1000mg calcium each day. Healthy adult females should get 1000mg calcium every day until they reach menopause. Once women are post- menopausal, 1200mg calcium per day is recommended. Men over the age of seventy years old should also increase their calcium levels to 1200mg every day.
Dairy sources of high calcium foods
The highest source of calcium- rich foods in the United States is yogurt. Eight ounces of plain yogurt provides 415mg calcium per serving. This provides 42% of the body’s daily requirements for calcium in a healthy adult under the age of fifty years old. A cup of fruit yogurt comes close, offering an average of 350mg calcium, or approximately one- third of the body’s daily need for calcium.
Beyond yogurt, 1.5 ounces of either cheddar or mozzarella cheese supply the body with between 300 and 330mg calcium. These dairy products also offer almost one- third of the body’s need for calcium on a daily basis.
Interestingly, cow’s milk, depending on the amount of milk fat, only supplies the body with about one- quarter of the body’s demand for calcium on a daily basis. Eight ounces of whole milk offers 276mg calcium, while nonfat skim milk supplies almost 300mg.
Non- dairy sources of high calcium foods for the lactose intolerant
One of the very highest, and possibly surprising sources of calcium comes from oranges. Oranges actually contain more calcium per piece of fruit than Vitamin C. Orange juice may be the highest fruit source of calcium in the world, with 375mg calcium in every six ounce glass of fresh juice. One glass of orange juice supplies 38% of an adult’s daily requirement for calcium.
Salmon and sardines are two high calcium sources from fish. Three ounces of canned sardines with the bones supplies 325mg calcium, or 33% of an adult’s daily requirement for calcium. Three ounces of canned pink salmon with the bones supplies 181mg calcium, which is 18% of the body’s requirements for calcium.
Vegans may choose to eat tofu as a meat substitute for calcium, if it has added calcium sulfate salt. Otherwise, tofu is not a significant source of calcium. One half cup of calcium- enriched tofu has 253mg calcium, supplying 25% of the body’s requirements for daily calcium.
There are also a variety of high calcium vegetables. Though not nearly as high in calcium as orange juice, a cup of fresh raw kale or Chinese cabbage, and one half cup fresh raw broccoli all supply up to 9% of an adult’s daily calcium requirements.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that eating a diet that is very high in fresh fruits and vegetables shifts the body’s acid/alkaline balance to the alkaline side. This produces bicarbonate, which serves as a buffer to reduce calcium loss. By contrast, diets high in unhealthy proteins and refined cereal grains pull calcium out of the body.
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that people over the age of nine years old eat three cups of dairy products every day. These servings of calcium- rich foods can easily be substituted with the non- dairy foods listed above. Substituting dairy products with a glass of fresh orange juice for breakfast, a large salad or a green smoothie containing raw kale and Chinese cabbage for lunch, and a dinner including salmon and a side serving of broccoli would easily satisfy the daily requirements for calcium.
Sources:
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/#en22
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18842807?dopt=Abstract
- http://www.choosemyplate.gov/