Top 5 Common Food Sources of Calcium
Looking to get more mg of calcium in your diet? Look no further! My team and I have crunched the numbers and did all the math to determine the top 5 common food sources of calcium, per serving. Overall, there aren’t any common foods that provide half of the daily value of calcium per serving, so it’s important to choose a variety of calcium rich foods that deliver smaller amounts and and sprinkle those throughout the day. Getting calcium from our diet through healthy eating is important since a large collection of studies show that getting nutrients from dietary supplements doesn’t improve health outcomes compared to getting nutrients from foods! When it comes to calcium, if you’re planning to take a calcium supplement it’s worth seeking medical advice from your health care provider before beginning, especially if you have a family history of heart disease or other cardiovascular risk factors, because some evidence has linked calcium supplements to an increased risk of heart attacks and other health risks.
| Rank | Food | Nutrivore Score | Serving Size (Raw) | Calcium (mg/serving) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantic Sardines, Canned in Oil, w/ bone | 654 | 4 oz / 115 g | 439.3 | 34 |
| 2 | Cassava | 224 | 1 cup | 362.6 | 28 |
| 3 | Yogurt, Average1 | 208 | 1 cup | 343.0 | 26 |
| 4 | Cheese, Hard, Average2 | 130 | 1.5 oz / 40 g | 328.3 | 25 |
| 5 | Kefir, Low-Fat, Plain | 296 | 1 cup | 315.9 | 24 |
2Hard cheese, average includes cheddar, cheshire, colby, edam, fontina, gjetost, goat (hard type), gouda, gruyere, Monterey, parmesan, provolone, romano, swiss, and tilsit.
Want to know more about this important mineral famous for its role in building strong bones, including what calcium does in the body, how much calcium we need, what happens if we have low calcium levels or if we get too much, and even more awesome food sources of calcium? Keep reading to learn all there is to know!
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What Is Calcium and What Does It Do?
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, concentrated mostly in the bones and teeth (where it forms a major component of bone tissue). On top of its structural role in the skeleton, calcium functions as an electrolyte—a type of electricity-conducting mineral needed for regulating nerve impulses, the heartbeat, muscle contraction, fluid balance, and blood pH!
Getting enough calcium is vital for protecting against osteoporosis and bone fractures, especially in conjunction with vitamin D and magnesium. But, it can also help reduce your risk of kidney stones, protect against pregnancy-related high blood pressure, lower your risk of colorectal cancer (and improve survival following diagnosis), help you maintain a healthy body weight, and even reduce PMS symptoms!
Learn more about calcium here.
Calcium Deficiency
A 2011 study evaluated American’s usual nutrient intake including nutrients that are naturally-occurring in foods, from fortified and enriched foods, and from supplements. The results indicated that 54.9% of American adults usual diet falls short of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for calcium intake.
Groups At Risk
Those at high risk of calcium deficiency include:
- people with lactose intolerance, or other individuals who avoid dairy products without replacing them with other calcium-rich foods, and
- postmenopausal women (due to decreased estrogen levels, which affect calcium absorption and bone density)
Learn more here.
Symptoms of Deficiency
Calcium deficiency symptoms aren’t immediately obvious and won’t show up as low blood levels, as the body maintains stable calcium in the blood by drawing from bones. Chronic low calcium intake leads to excessive bone resorption, raising the risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis, fractures, and dental decay. In children, inadequate calcium can prevent reaching optimal peak bone mass. Severe deficiency, often due to other health conditions, can cause confusion, muscle cramps, memory loss, brittle nails, hallucination, and numbness and tingling hands or feet. Bone scans are the most reliable way to assess long-term calcium status.
When blood calcium levels drop too low, it is typically due to abnormal parathyroid function, vitamin D deficiency, kidney failure, or magnesium deficiency caused by alcoholism, all of which can occur independently of calcium intake.
Learn more here.
Problems From Too Much Calcium
Excess calcium intake, especially through high-dose supplements, can lead to hypercalcemia, a condition linked to kidney damage and potentially fatal outcomes if untreated. This risk is elevated in postmenopausal women and involves long-term supplement use at doses between 1.5 and 16.5 grams per day. Some studies suggest that calcium supplements may increase heart attack risk, possibly due to arterial plaque buildup, while dietary calcium is generally safer for cardiovascular health. Certain forms of calcium, like calcium carbonate and lactate, may cause gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain, or be poorly absorbed by people on acid-reducing medications, making calcium citrate a preferred option. Additionally, high calcium intake from dairy may be associated with prostate cancer, though more research is needed. Staying within the recommended upper limit of 2000-2500 mg per day is generally considered safe.
Learn more here.
How Much Calcium Do We Need?
The following table summarizes the current recommended amounts of calcium, based on age, gender, or situation. When estimating intake, though, it’s important to keep in mind that calcium bioavailability varies among different foods, and can also be inhibited by some drugs that reduce calcium absorption!
It’s also important to note that calcium has some important interactions with other nutrients including magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and vitamin D. Learn more here.
| 0 – 6 months | |||||
| 6 months to < 12 months | |||||
| 1 yr – 3 yrs | |||||
| 4 yrs – 8 yrs | |||||
| 9 yrs – 13 yrs | |||||
| 14 yrs – 18 yrs | |||||
| 19 yrs – 50 yrs | |||||
| 51+ yrs | 1200 (71+ yrs) | ||||
| Pregnant (14 – 18 yrs) | |||||
| Pregnant (19 – 30 yrs) | |||||
| Pregnant (31 – 50 yrs) | |||||
| Lactating (14 – 18 yrs) | |||||
| Lactating (19 – 30 yrs) | |||||
| Lactating (31 – 50 yrs) |
Nutrient Daily Values
Nutrition requirements and recommended nutrient intake for infants, children, adolescents, adults, mature adults, and pregnant and lactating individuals.
More Food Sources of Calcium
Along with dairy products such as cow’s milk and yogurt (particularly low-fat items), good sources of calcium are bone-in fish such as salmon or sardines, leafy greens and green vegetables in general (especially Brassica vegetables like kale, collard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, broccoli, and cabbage), sesame seeds, chia seeds, tofu, and seaweed. Some other plant foods like spinach, rhubarb, and beans are also relatively rich in calcium, but also contain high levels of oxalate or phytate, which bind to calcium and inhibit its absorption. Other food sources include calcium-fortified foods like fruit juices such as orange juice, milk alternatives such as soy milk, and certain cereals.
Good Food Sources of Calcium
The following foods are also excellent or good sources of calcium, containing at least 10% (and up to 50%) of the daily calcium value per serving.
Top 5 Common Food Sources
If you’re looking for top 5 common food sources of other important nutrients check out these posts!
cITATIONS
Expand to see all scientific references for this article.
Fulgoni VL 3rd, Keast DR, Bailey RL, Dwyer J. Foods, fortificants, and supplements: Where do Americans get their nutrients? J Nutr. 2011 Oct;141(10):1847-54. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.142257. Epub 2011 Aug 24. PMID: 21865568; PMCID: PMC3174857.
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