Calcium rich foods
Calcium is an essential component of a healthy diet and a mineral necessary for life.
Approximately 99 percent of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones and teeth as calcium phosphate and some calcium sulfate. Calcium can be released from bone by the action of the parathyroid hormone.
The rest of the calcium in the body has other important uses, such as neurotransmitter release and muscle contraction.
Calcium ions are actively pumped out of the cells using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as an energy source. Calcium ions are among the most widespread second messengers in signaling between cells in neural and muscular tissue.
Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium. More on calcium here.
The recommended daily calcium intake for adults is 1000 to 1300 mg. Proper vitamin D status is important for calcium absorption.
The Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for calcium are 2.0 to 2.5 grams per day for adults.
Below is a list of foods having the highest content of calcium in milligrams (mg) per 100 grams of the food. The list also includes the number of kilocalories (kcal) and the calcium content in milligrams (mg) per kcal, and the list is sorted with respect to the latter with the highest values at the top.
As you can see there are many foods having a high calcium content per kcal. So if you are lacking in calcium, you could easily correct the deficiency by eating some of these foods. Rather small amounts should be sufficient in most cases.
You should remember that calcium can be overdosed if very large amounts are ingested repeatedly.
The list is made using ECstep’s Personal Nutrition Data Program and includes more than 100 of the calcium richest foods. Commercial brand products are not included in this list.