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Calcium is essential for our body. You can easily refuel by consuming dairy products but not only. Here is the list of foods that contain the most calcium.
Dairy products are essential in our diet. Consuming it daily helps strengthen our bones and teeth, since calcium is one of the minerals important to the proper functioning of our body. The average recommended calcium intake for an adult is 1200 mg/d. For this, it is necessary to consume foods rich in calcium, because the body cannot synthesize it on its own.
Which foods contain the most calcium?
The foods that contain the most calcium are milk, hard cheeses such as Emmental, Comté or even Mimolette and fermented milk products (kefir for example) and whole or skimmed yoghurts.
THE site dairy-products.com reports that a study American dating from 2015 analyzed the price of a 120 mg portion of calcium, taking into account the calorie intake and the associated nutrients (sugar, salt, fatty acids, etc.). Among the 800 dairy products, the most affordable and containing the most calcium is milk!
But calcium can be found in non-dairy products like the vegetables (cabbage and broccoli), vegetable milks enriched with calcium (almond, soy, rice), tofu, tempeh (products derived from soy), fish and seafood (salmon, sardines, shrimp), oilseeds and seeds (almonds, poppy, sesame, chia), the seaweeds (sea lettuce, kelp, spirulina, chlorella) and even still, mineral or sparkling water. These alternatives are ideal for people with lactose allergies.
Which fruits and vegetables are rich in calcium?
As pointed out by site AllForMyHealthoranges, figs, dried apricots and plums are the fruits richest in calcium. There is a large amount of calcium in dried fruits, especially walnuts and almonds. Calcium-rich vegetables are (in mg per 100 grams):
- cooked spinach: 240 mg
- soy: 220 mg
- raw kale: 185 mg
- raw white bean: 183 mg
- dried fig: 167 mg
- arugula: 160 mg
- cooked rhubarb: 145 mg
- dried tomato: 110 mg
- raw chickpea: 90 mg
- mashed broccoli: 87 mg
- dried apricot: 71 mg
- raw lentil: 64mg
- raw leek: 63 mg
- blackcurrant: 57 mg
- lime: 57 mg
- green bean: 55 mg
- red fruits: 40 mg
What are the signs of a lack of calcium?
Hypocalcemia is defined as a low level of calcium in the blood. This pathology is rare, unlike iron and magnesium deficiencies, which are more common. THE signs of a lack of calcium don’t show up right away. Indeed, this induces bone changes that are revealed in the long term. Symptoms of a lack of calcium can be:
- Osteomalacia (bone decalcification linked to mineralization defects), which can cause bone and muscle pain as well as bone deformities
- Osteoporosis (linked to bone loss), which can induce vertebral compression and increase the risk of fractures
- dental problems
