Because your body doesn’t naturally produce calcium on its own, getting an adequate amount through your diet is important for optimal health. While dairy products like milk and yogurt are well-known sources of calcium, many types of fish, plant-based foods, and fortified products also contain this essential mineral.
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Dairy products are among the richest sources of calcium. They also contain high-quality protein, which builds and preserves muscle.
Foods like yogurt and kefir offer gut-friendly probiotics, and milk is often fortified with vitamin D. This means that manufacturers add vitamin D into the milk during the production process.
Dairy also contains nutrients like potassium, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Here’s the calcium content of popular dairy products:
- Cheddar cheese: 120 mg per slice, or about 11% of the recommended daily value (DV)
- Plain, whole milk Greek yogurt: 260 mg per cup, or about 20% of the DV
- Whole milk: 300 mg per cup, or about 23% of the DV
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Soy-based ingredients like tofu are often prepared with calcium sulfate, a salt that helps maintain the plant protein’s texture and structure. Tofu products made with this salt are good sources of calcium.
It’s also not uncommon for soy milk to be fortified with both calcium and vitamin D so that consumers who don’t eat dairy don’t miss out on these important nutrients. Calcium content varies by brand.
Soy products like the following can help you meet your daily calcium requirements:
- Soy milk fortified with calcium: 300 mg per cup, or about 18% of the DV
- Soybeans (boiled): 261 mg per cup, or about 20% of the DV
- Tofu made with calcium sulfate: 434 mg per one-half cup, or about 33% of the DV
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Canned fish, like salmon and sardines, are great sources of calcium. Unlike tuna, these fish are canned with their bones, which contain calcium and vitamin D. The bones are so soft and fine that they’re easy (and safe) to chew.
Eating fatty fish three times a week is a great way to include omega-3 fatty acids into your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation in your body.
Try incorporating one of the options below for an affordable dose of calcium:
- Canned crab: 114 mg per 6.5-oz can, or about 9% of the DV
- Canned sardines: 286 mg per 2.65-oz can, or about 22% of the DV
- Canned sockeye salmon: 197 mg per 3 oz, or about 15% of the DV
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Leafy greens are full of nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E, and K, iron, and fiber. They’re also a dairy-free source of calcium. Here’s the calcium content of some leafy greens:
- Collard greens: 327 mg per cooked cup, or about 25% of the DV
- Kale: 177 mg per cooked cup, or about 14% of the DV
- Spinach: 141 mg per cooked cup, or about 11% of the DV
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Some nuts and seeds also contain calcium. Almonds and sesame seeds—including almond butter and tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds—both deliver the mineral, along with antioxidants like vitamin E. Antioxidants are substances that prevent or delay cell damage caused by compounds called free radicals.
The following nuts and seeds are particularly rich in calcium:
- Almonds: 96 mg per one-quarter cup, or about 7% of the DV
- Chia seeds: 90 mg per tablespoon, or about 7% of the DV
- Tahini: 127 mg per 2 tablespoons, or about 10% of the DV
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In the United States, calcium is often added to juices, foods like breakfast cereals, dairy, and plant-based milk. The idea is that this process can help reduce the prevalence of conditions correlated with low calcium intake, including rickets in children and preeclampsia in pregnant women. Common fortified foods include:
- Fortified cold breakfast cereal: Up to 150 mg per cup, or about 12% of the DV
- Fortified orange juice: 300 mg per cup, or about 23% of the DV
- Fortified wheat flour: 67 mg per ½ cup, or about 5% of the DV
As of 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set the recommended Daily Value of calcium at 1,300 milligrams (mg) for ages 4 and older.
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are developed by the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. RDAs are designed to meet the nutritional requirements of most people. They vary by age and sex. These are the RDAs for calcium:
- 0-6 months: 200 mg
- 7-12 months: 260 mg
- 1-3 years: 700 mg
- 4-8 years: 1000 mg
- 9-13 years: 1,300 mg
- 14-18 years: 1,300 mg
- 19-50 years: 1,000 mg
- Men aged 51-70 years: 1,000 mg
- Women aged 51-70 years: 1,200 mg
- 71+ years: 1,200 mg
Calcium deficiency can lead to symptoms like muscle weakness and spasms, as well as numbness and tingling. More severe cases may contribute to mood disturbances, compromised vision, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), which affects the heart or blood vessels.
Chronic, inadequate calcium intake can also lead to low bone mineral density. This is seen in conditions such as rickets, which softens and weakens the bones, often seen in children. It’s also seen in osteopenia and osteoporosis, conditions that thin and weaken bones in adults.
