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Calcium Sources |
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Calcium Sources |
A unique project to promote an awareness of the many benefits of a plant-based (vegan) diet.
Sources of Calcium: Plant-based (vegan) vs. animal sources
There is a great deal of information on the internet about the importance of calcium in the diet, as well as the most healthful sources. Below are some links to articles about calcium. Please feel free to visit these articles for additional information. Following the article links is our extensive table of calcium sources with other nutritional information.
| Celebrities for Health Pages: |
According to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM),
"The most healthful calcium sources are green leafy vegetables and legumes"
PCRM has a terrific article about calcium and protecting your bones: Calcium and Strong Bones http://www.pcrm.org/health/Preventive_Medicine/strong_bones.html
Here's a very informative article about milk from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) :
"Milk: A Cruel and Unhealthy Product" http://www.peta.org/mc/facts/fsveg8.html
Below is an additional article from PETA, with information on calcium for children. According to the article: "Calcium--Drinking cow's milk is one of the least effective ways to strengthen bones."
"Vegan Children: Happy and Healthy" http://www.peta.org/mc/facts/fsveg6.html
Here is a quote from VegSource.com, from the section "What About Calcium?":
"Some researchers question the wisdom of current government calcium recommendations. They note that the Standard American Diet is so fundamentally flawed that trying to protect our bones by taking in loads of calcium is like trying to fill a tub with no stopper by turning up the faucets." http://www.vegsource.com/articles/veg_definition.htm
The NOTMILK web site brings us this comment about osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis - American women have been consuming an average of two pounds of milk per day for their entire lives, yet thirty million American women have osteoporosis. Drinking milk does not prevent bone loss. Bone loss is accelerated by ingesting too much protein, and milk has been called "liquid meat." http://www.notmilk.com/o.html
Here is some information from the American Heart Association about Vegetarian Diets:
Calcium: Studies have shown that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than do non-vegetarians. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products are good sources of calcium from plants. http://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/vegdiet.html
Here is yet more information from the Vegetarian Pages:
Everything you ever wanted to know about calcium in 5 easy lessons
High protein diets appear to lead to increased calcium losses. Calcium requirements for those on lower protein, plant-based diets are believed to be below the usual recommendations. http://www.veg.org./veg/Articles/calcium.html
Most studies have shown that high doses of calcium do not slow bone loss. In fact, many populations with high intakes of calcium also have high rates of osteoporosis[5], probably because their high protein intake causes significant calcium loss...
The type of protein may also be important. At least one study shows that soy protein, even at high levels, does not increase calcium excretion the same way that protein from animal sources does
According to the article from New Century Nutrition, The Great American Milk Myth, by Dr. Charles R. Attwood :
"Good bone density attained by the age of 18-25 usually lasts a lifetime for people who consume a balanced plant-based diet and remain physically active. The problem with milk and other dairy products is that they are not only rich in calcium but they are also high in protein, which has been shown to create calcium loss through the urinary tract." http://www.newcenturynutrition.com/NCN/ariticles/milk_myth.html
Please keep in mind that animal products (dairy products, eggs, fish meats, etc.) contain cholesterol and there is no need for the intake of cholesterol. The human body makes its own cholesterol. Even PCRM is making the recommendation in their lawsuit that the federal dietary guidelines reflect this. They suggest:
d. The Guidelines should state: "The body naturally produces all the cholesterol it needs, and additional intake of cholesterol is unnecessary for a healthful diet." http://www.pcrm.org/news/lawsuit_comments.html
A new marketing campaign suggests people who consume non-dairy products miss a "dairy opportunity". Supposedly, this "dairy opportunity" is an opportunity to consume dairy to benefit from it's calcium and other nutrients instead of consuming something else. To many, a true "dairy opportunity" would be to, instead of consuming dairy, consume more healthful non-dairy foods. Mothers milk from other species of animals is not designed for humans, especially after being treated with high pressure to alter molecules and after being subjected to high heat to pasteurize it. Fresh vegetable juices are loaded with nutrients. Greens offer amazing nutrition. Sesame seeds top the list for calcium content. So, take an opportunity to avoid dairy and eat or drink something truly health-promoting! It's worth noting: the first cow's milk on the list is actually #41 (not very good for being such a great source of calcium!!!)
The below listings are based on a 100 gram serving of each (the equivalent of 3.53 ounces), listed in a descending order from the highest amount of calcium to the lowest amount of calcium. We ended the table at "Milk, Human" (breast milk) as this is the only natural source of milk-based calcium for humans, which of course is intended for our infancy. The source of the data listed here is the USDA Nutrient Database: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl . Please notify us of any errors.
| Source | Calcium mg | Fat g | Cholesterol mg | Protein g | Magnesium mg | Iron mg | Fiber g | Energy kcal | ||
| Total | Saturated | |||||||||
| Sesame seeds | 975.000 | 49.670 | 6.957 | 0.000 | 17.730 | 351.000 | 14.550 | 11.800 | 573.000 | |
| Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate | 683.000 | 8.720 | 1.261 | 0.000 | 15.780 | 58.000 | 10.470 | 2.300 | 145.000 | |
| Winged beans, mature seeds, raw | 440.000 | 16.320 | 2.303 | 0.000 | 29.650 | 179.000 | 13.440 | ? | 409.000 | |
| Sesame butter, tahini | 426.000 | 53.760 | 7.529 | 0.000 | 17.000 | 95.000 | 8.950 | 9.300 | 595.000 | |
| Soybeans, mature seeds, raw | 277.000 | 19.940 | 2.884 | 0.000 | 36.490 | 280.000 | 15.700 | 9.300 | 416.000 | |
| Nuts, almond butter, plain, without salt added | 270.000 | 59.100 | 5.602 | 0.000 | 15.080 | 303.000 | 3.700 | 3.700 | 633.000 | |
| Nuts, almonds | 248.000 | 50.640 | 3.881 | 0.000 | 21.260 | 275.000 | 4.290 | 11.800 | 578.000 | |
| Beans, white, mature seeds, raw | 240.000 | 0.850 | 0.219 | 0.000 | 23.360 | 190.000 | 10.440 | 15.200 | 333.000 | |
| Flax seed | 199.000 | 34.000 | 3.196 | 0.000 | 19.500 | 362.000 | 6.220 | 27.900 | 492.000 | |
| Soybeans, green, raw | 197.000 | 6.800 | 0.786 | 0.000 | 12.950 | 65.000 | 3.550 | 4.200 | 147.000 | |
| Beans, kidney, california red, mature seeds, raw | 195.000 | 0.250 | 0.036 | 0.000 | 24.370 | 160.000 | 9.350 | 24.900 | 330.000 | |
| Milk, sheep | 193.400 | 7.000 | 4.603 | 27.000 | 5.980 | 18.360 | 0.100 | 0.000 | 107.808 | |
| Turnip greens, raw | 190.000 | 0.300 | 0.070 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 31.000 | 1.100 | 3.200 | 27.000 | |
| Dandelion greens, raw | 187.000 | 0.700 | 0.170 | 0.000 | 2.700 | 36.000 | 3.100 | 3.500 | 45.000 | |
| Beans, french, mature seeds, raw | 186.000 | 2.020 | 0.221 | 0.000 | 18.810 | 188.000 | 3.400 | 25.200 | 343.000 | |
| Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched | 176.000 | 66.220 | 16.154 | 0.000 | 14.340 | 225.000 | 3.400 | 5.400 | 656.000 | |
| Beans, great northern, mature seeds, raw | 175.000 | 1.140 | 0.356 | 0.000 | 21.860 | 189.000 | 5.470 | 20.200 | 339.000 | |
| Beans, small white, mature seeds, raw | 173.000 | 1.180 | 0.304 | 0.000 | 21.110 | 183.000 | 7.730 | 24.900 | 336.000 | |
| Seaweed, kelp, raw | 168.000 | 0.560 | 0.247 | 0.000 | 1.680 | 121.000 | 2.850 | 1.300 | 43.000 | |
| Beans, yellow, mature seeds, raw | 166.000 | 2.600 | 0.671 | 0.000 | 22.000 | 222.000 | 7.010 | 25.100 | 345.000 | |
| lotus seeds | 163.000 | 1.970 | 0.330 | 0.000 | 15.410 | 210.000 | 3.530 | ? | 332.000 | |
| Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride | 162.000 | 4.460 | 0.646 | 0.000 | 8.040 | 46.000 | 1.450 | 0.400 | 77.000 | |
| Arugula, raw | 160.000 | 0.660 | 0.086 | 0.000 | 2.580 | 47.000 | 1.460 | 1.600 | 25.000 | |
| Beans, navy, mature seeds, raw | 155.000 | 1.280 | 0.331 | 0.000 | 22.330 | 173.000 | 6.440 | 24.400 | 335.000 | |
| Mothbeans, mature seeds, raw | 150.000 | 1.610 | 0.364 | 0.000 | 22.940 | 381.000 | 10.850 | ? | 343.000 | |
| Seaweed, wakame, raw | 150.000 | 0.640 | 0.130 | 0.000 | 3.030 | 107.000 | 2.180 | 0.500 | 45.000 | |
| Collards, raw | 145.000 | 0.420 | 0.055 | 0.000 | 2.450 | 9.000 | 0.190 | 3.600 | 30.000 | |
| Figs, dried, uncooked | 144.000 | 1.170 | 0.234 | 0.000 | 3.050 | 59.000 | 2.230 | 12.200 | 255.000 | |
| Beans, kidney, all types, mature seeds, raw | 143.000 | 0.830 | 0.120 | 0.000 | 23.580 | 140.000 | 8.200 | 24.900 | 333.000 | |
| Mungo beans, mature seeds, raw | 138.000 | 1.640 | 0.114 | 0.000 | 25.210 | 267.000 | 7.570 | 18.300 | 341.000 | |
| Back to the top! | Calcium mg | Fat g | Cholesterol mg | Protein g | Magnesium mg | Iron mg | Fiber g | Energy kcal | ||
| Total | Saturated | |||||||||
| Parsley, raw | 138.000 | 0.790 | 0.132 | 0.000 | 2.970 | 50.000 | 6.200 | 3.300 | 36.000 | |
| Yardlong beans, mature seeds, raw | 138.000 | 1.310 | 0.339 | 0.000 | 24.330 | 338.000 | 8.610 | 11.000 | 347.000 | |
| Kale, raw | 135.000 | 0.700 | 0.091 | 0.000 | 3.300 | 34.000 | 1.700 | 2.000 | 50.000 | |
| Milk, goat | 133.500 | 4.140 | 2.667 | 11.400 | 3.560 | 13.970 | 0.050 | 0.000 | 68.813 | |
| Mung beans, mature seeds, raw | 132.000 | 1.150 | 0.348 | 0.000 | 23.860 | 189.000 | 6.740 | 16.300 | 347.000 | |
| Beans, kidney, royal red, mature seeds, raw | 131.000 | 0.450 | 0.065 | 0.000 | 25.330 | 138.000 | 8.700 | 24.900 | 329.000 | |
| Beans, pink, mature seeds, raw | 130.000 | 1.130 | 0.292 | 0.000 | 20.960 | 182.000 | 6.770 | 12.700 | 343.000 | |
| Wasabi, root, raw | 128.000 | 0.630 | ? | 0.000 | 4.800 | 69.000 | 1.030 | 7.700 | 109.000 | |
| Beans, cranberry (roman), mature seeds, raw | 127.000 | 1.230 | 0.316 | 0.000 | 23.030 | 156.000 | 5.000 | 24.700 | 335.000 | |
| Beans, black, mature seeds, raw | 123.000 | 1.420 | 0.366 | 0.000 | 21.600 | 171.000 | 5.020 | 15.200 | 341.000 | |
| Milk, nonfat | 123.000 | 0.180 | 0.117 | 2.000 | 3.410 | 11.000 | 0.040 | 0.000 | 35.000 | |
| Beans, pinto, mature seeds, raw | 121.000 | 1.130 | 0.235 | 0.000 | 20.880 | 159.000 | 5.880 | 24.400 | 340.000 | |
| Watercress, raw | 120.000 | 0.100 | 0.027 | 0.000 | 2.300 | 21.000 | 0.200 | 1.500 | 11.000 | |
| Milk, producer, fluid, 3.7% milkfat | 119.000 | 3.660 | 2.278 | 14.300 | 3.280 | 13.400 | 0.050 | 0.000 | 64.172 | |
| Sunflower seed | 116.000 | 49.570 | 5.195 | 0.000 | 22.780 | 354.000 | 6.770 | 10.500 | 570.000 | |
| Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts | 114.000 | 60.750 | 4.464 | 0.000 | 14.950 | 163.000 | 4.700 | 9.700 | 628.000 | |
| Tempeh | 111.000 | 10.800 | 2.220 | 0.000 | 18.540 | 81.000 | 2.703 | ? | 193.000 | |
| Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride | 111.000 | 3.690 | 0.533 | 0.000 | 6.550 | 27.000 | 1.110 | 0.200 | 61.000 | |
| Tomatoes, sun-dried | 110.000 | 2.970 | 0.426 | 0.000 | 14.110 | 194.000 | 9.090 | 12.300 | 258.000 | |
| Peanuts, spanish, raw | 106.000 | 49.600 | 7.642 | 0.000 | 26.150 | 188.000 | 3.910 | 9.500 | 570.000 | |
| Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw | 105.000 | 6.040 | 0.626 | 0.000 | 19.300 | 115.000 | 6.240 | 17.400 | 364.000 | |
| Nuts, walnuts, English | 104.000 | 65.210 | 6.126 | 0.000 | 15.230 | 158.000 | 2.910 | 6.700 | 654.000 | |
| Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, raw | 103.000 | 1.530 | 0.254 | 0.000 | 26.120 | 192.000 | 6.700 | 25.000 | 341.000 | |
| Mustard greens, raw | 103.000 | 0.200 | 0.010 | 0.000 | 2.700 | 32.000 | 1.460 | 3.300 | 26.000 | |
| Spinach, raw | 99.000 | 0.350 | 0.056 | 0.000 | 2.860 | 79.000 | 2.710 | 2.700 | 22.000 | |
| Tempeh, cooked | 95.600 | 11.380 | 3.290 | 18.190 | 77.200 | 2.126 | ? | 197.000 | ||
| Currants, zante, dried | 86.000 | 0.270 | 0.028 | 0.000 | 4.080 | 41.000 | 3.260 | 6.800 | 283.000 | |
| Rhubarb, raw | 86.000 | 0.200 | 0.053 | 0.000 | 0.900 | 12.000 | 0.220 | 1.800 | 21.000 | |
| Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw | 85.000 | 75.770 | 12.061 | 0.000 | 7.910 | 130.000 | 3.690 | 8.600 | 718.000 | |
| Winged beans, immature seeds, raw | 84.000 | 0.870 | 0.238 | 0.000 | 6.950 | 34.000 | 1.500 | ? | 49.000 | |
| Back to the top! | Calcium mg | Fat g | Cholesterol mg | Protein g | Magnesium mg | Iron mg | Fiber g | Energy kcal | ||
| Total | Saturated | |||||||||
| Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, raw | 83.000 | 1.060 | 0.154 | 0.000 | 22.530 | 138.000 | 6.690 | 15.200 | 337.000 | |
| Lima beans, large, mature seeds, raw | 81.000 | 0.690 | 0.161 | 0.000 | 21.460 | 224.000 | 7.510 | 19.000 | 338.000 | |
| Okra, raw | 81.000 | 0.100 | 0.026 | 0.000 | 2.000 | 57.000 | 0.800 | 3.200 | 33.000 | |
| Seaweed, irishmoss, raw | 72.000 | 0.160 | 0.033 | 0.000 | 1.510 | 144.000 | 8.900 | 1.300 | 49.000 | |
| Nuts, pecans | 70.000 | 71.970 | 6.175 | 0.000 | 9.170 | 121.000 | 2.530 | 9.600 | 691.000 | |
| Seaweed, laver, raw | 70.000 | 0.280 | 0.061 | 0.000 | 5.810 | 2.000 | 1.800 | 0.300 | 35.000 | |
| Lettuce, looseleaf, raw | 68.000 | 0.300 | 0.039 | 0.000 | 1.300 | 11.000 | 1.400 | 1.900 | 18.000 | |
| Soybeans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw | 67.000 | 6.700 | 0.929 | 0.000 | 13.090 | 72.000 | 2.100 | 1.100 | 122.000 | |
| Beans, adzuki, mature seeds, raw | 66.000 | 0.530 | 0.191 | 0.000 | 19.870 | 127.000 | 4.980 | 12.700 | 329.000 | |
| Finfish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, dry heat | 60.000 | 2.940 | 0.417 | 41.000 | 26.690 | 107.000 | 1.070 | 0.000 | 140.000 | |
| Quinoa | 60.000 | 5.800 | 0.590 | 0.000 | 13.100 | 210.000 | 9.250 | 5.900 | 374.000 | |
| Beans, pinto, immature seeds, frozen, unprepared | 58.000 | 0.500 | 0.061 | 0.000 | 9.800 | 60.000 | 3.000 | 5.700 | 170.000 | |
| Nuts, walnuts, black | 58.000 | 56.580 | 3.628 | 0.000 | 24.350 | 202.000 | 3.070 | 5.000 | 607.000 | |
| Prickly pears, raw | 56.000 | 0.510 | 0.067 | 0.000 | 0.730 | 85.000 | 0.300 | 3.600 | 41.000 | |
| Egg, whole, cooked, fried | 55.000 | 15.000 | 4.167 | 459.000 | 13.540 | 11.000 | 1.560 | 0.000 | 199.000 | |
| Oats | 54.000 | 6.900 | 1.217 | 0.000 | 16.890 | 177.000 | 4.720 | 10.600 | 389.000 | |
| Seaweed, agar, raw | 54.000 | 0.030 | 0.006 | 0.000 | 0.540 | 67.000 | 1.860 | 0.500 | 26.000 | |
| Beans, pinto, immature seeds, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 52.000 | 0.480 | 0.058 | 0.000 | 9.310 | 54.000 | 2.710 | 8.600 | 162.000 | |
| Chard, swiss, raw | 51.000 | 0.200 | 0.030 | 0.000 | 1.800 | 81.000 | 1.800 | 1.600 | 19.000 | |
| Lentils, mature seeds, raw | 51.000 | 0.960 | 0.135 | 0.000 | 28.060 | 107.000 | 9.020 | 30.500 | 338.000 | |
| Prunes, dried, uncooked | 51.000 | 0.520 | 0.041 | 0.000 | 2.610 | 45.000 | 2.480 | 7.100 | 239.000 | |
| Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled | 50.000 | 10.610 | 3.267 | 424.000 | 12.580 | 10.000 | 1.190 | 0.000 | 155.000 | |
| Hyacinth-beans, immature seeds, raw | 50.000 | 0.200 | 0.088 | 0.000 | 2.100 | 40.000 | 0.740 | ? | 46.000 | |
| Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | 49.000 | 2.590 | 0.269 | 0.000 | 8.860 | 48.000 | 2.890 | 7.600 | 164.000 | |
| Egg, whole, raw, fresh | 49.000 | 10.020 | 3.100 | 425.000 | 12.490 | 10.000 | 1.440 | 0.000 | 149.000 | |
| Raisins, seedless | 49.000 | 0.460 | 0.150 | 0.000 | 3.220 | 33.000 | 2.080 | 4.000 | 300.000 | |
| Beans, snap, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 46.000 | 0.280 | 0.064 | 0.000 | 1.890 | 25.000 | 1.280 | 3.200 | 35.000 | |
| Lotus root, raw | 45.000 | 0.100 | 0.030 | 0.000 | 2.600 | 23.000 | 1.160 | 4.900 | 74.000 | |
| Nuts, cashew nuts, dry roasted, without salt added | 45.000 | 46.350 | 9.157 | 0.000 | 15.310 | 260.000 | 6.000 | 3.000 | 574.000 | |
| Beans, pinto, mature seeds, sprouted, raw | 43.000 | 0.900 | 0.109 | 0.000 | 5.250 | 53.000 | 1.970 | ? | 62.000 | |
| Back to the top! | Calcium mg | Fat g | Cholesterol mg | Protein g | Magnesium mg | Iron mg | Fiber g | Energy kcal | ||
| Total | Saturated | |||||||||
| Peas, edible-podded, raw | 43.000 | 0.200 | 0.039 | 0.000 | 2.800 | 24.000 | 2.080 | 2.600 | 42.000 | |
| Pumpkin and squash seed kernels | 43.000 | 45.850 | 8.674 | 0.000 | 24.540 | 535.000 | 14.970 | 3.900 | 541.000 | |
| Burdock root, raw | 41.000 | 0.150 | 0.025 | 0.000 | 1.530 | 38.000 | 0.800 | 3.300 | 72.000 | |
| Chicory roots, raw | 41.000 | 0.200 | 0.048 | 0.000 | 1.400 | 22.000 | 0.800 | ? | 73.000 | |
| Peanut butter, chunk style, | 41.000 | 49.940 | 9.580 | 0.000 | 24.050 | 159.000 | 1.900 | 6.600 | 589.000 | |
| Mulberries, raw | 39.000 | 0.390 | 0.027 | 0.000 | 1.440 | 18.000 | 1.850 | 1.700 | 43.000 | |
| Beans, fava, in pod, raw | 37.000 | 0.730 | 0.118 | 0.000 | 7.920 | 33.000 | 1.550 | ? | 88.000 | |
| Beans, snap, green, raw | 37.000 | 0.120 | 0.026 | 0.000 | 1.820 | 25.000 | 1.040 | 3.400 | 31.000 | |
| Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw | 36.000 | 0.200 | 0.026 | 0.000 | 1.620 | 6.000 | 1.100 | 1.700 | 14.000 | |
| Figs, raw | 35.000 | 0.300 | 0.060 | 0.000 | 0.750 | 17.000 | 0.370 | 3.300 | 74.000 | |
| Lima beans, immature seeds, raw | 34.000 | 0.860 | 0.198 | 0.000 | 6.840 | 58.000 | 3.140 | 4.900 | 113.000 | |
| Milk, human | 32.200 | 4.380 | 2.009 | 13.900 | 1.030 | 3.400 | 0.030 | 0.000 | 69.563 | |
Vegetarian Protein Sources / Vegetarian Calcium Sources / Vegetarian Iron Sources
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