Foods high in calcium: Where to get it?

Whether you work out regularly, lose weight or are interested in healthy eating, your diet should not be lacking calcium. One of the most well-known sources is, of course, dairy foods. However, some vegetables can also be interesting sources of calcium, as well as providing fibre, protein and calcium.and many of the vitamins and minerals needed for healthy body development, immunity and good digestion. In this article, we have focused on calcium-rich foods that should not be missing from your diet.

Why is calcium essential in our diet?

Like protein, fiber and other elements, calcium is essential for a healthy life. Its deficiency can affect the bones, teeth and even the condition of the skin. In addition, sufficient calcium in the body positively affects some diseases, not only chronic ones, improving their treatment or slowing down their symptoms and progression. It is a great prevention against cancer, blood clotting or osteoporosis.
If there is anything that calcium positively affects, it is blood pressure. It maintains its proper height and helps the muscles to contract. In cancer, calcium can affect the often uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. It is also great for muscle contractions, including those that power our heart. This allows us to have a healthy heart rhythm. Since bone health is directly dependent on calcium, we can experience calcium deficiency right there. People who just need a bad step or a little bump and their bones are already breaking have a calcium deficiency. Calcium also prevents osteoporosis, which is related to bone health.
If we are deficient in calcium, we can develop problems with blood clotting. Therefore, especially people who suffer from this should keep the calcium level in the bodyand try to increase their calcium intake, either through diet or supplements.
The nervous system and the overall proper functioning of the nervous system can also be affected by calcium. This is mainly related to the transmission of nerve signals. As you can see, calcium is indeed essential for our good health. So let's take a look at which foods have the most of it and how to include them in our diet. Just because a food is high in calcium doesn't mean we get enough of it.

Foods rich in calcium

The most well-known calcium-rich foods are dairy products. However, you can also find other ways to diversify your diet and get a rich source of calcium in our table. Examples include soya, almonds, poppy seeds, broccoli and leafy vegetables. We'll go over everything in detail in this article below.

Why are dairy products the best calcium-rich foods?

If you look at our table of the foods with the highest calcium content, you'll immediately see that dairy products make up the majority of them. Of course, we haven't included all the ones you can find in the shops. We've really only focused on the ones that give you the most calcium and should be included in your diet on a regular basis. Cheeses such as Eidam, Niva and Hermelin top the list. Other good dairy products include white yoghurt, kefir milk and, of course, semi-skimmed milk, which we drink most often, either on its own or as part of milkshakes, smoothies or in our coffee.
For dairy products, we recommend looking for products from farmers or organic products instead of supermarkets. These can contain much higher levels of minerals and vitamins in addition to calcium.
If you are wondering why dairy products have the highest calcium contenthard cheeses have the highest calcium content of all dairy products, we'd be happy to explain. It's not that they contain more calcium overall than milk itself, but that it takes more milk to make them. As a result, there is much more calcium concentrated in them than in other dairy foods.

We have chosen the classic Eidam with 30% fat as an example, which contains around 950 mg of calcium per 100 grams of food. This is followed by Niva with around 550 mg of calcium. The difference between hard and processed cheeses is not so much the amount of calcium but the additional calciumother ingredients they contain that may make it less absorbable. In fact, processed cheese also contains phosphorus and salt, which make calcium absorption more difficult. Salt causes some of the calcium needed to be flushed out of the urineand phosphorus will not allow calcium to be absorbed sufficiently in the body. If you cannot eliminate processed cheese from your diet, at least try to limit it and replace it with another source.
If you like yogurt, kefir milk and other fermented dairy products, you're kind of out of luck. Although the sour products in our table don't have as much calcium as hard cheeses or otherbut the acidity and overall composition make the calcium more easily absorbed. You will only eliminate a minimum of calcium from your body.

Plant sources of calcium

As our table suggests, you can find calcium in foods other than dairy. In particular, poppy seeds are high in calcium. If you like foods with poppy seeds, you have a chance to get some extra calcium into your body, but don't jump the gun. While most of the calcium in dairy products is absorbed by your body, it's more complicated with poppy seeds. This is because it contains other substances, mainly phytates and oxalates, which impair calcium absorption. In the end, you can only get about 10% of the total amount of calcium from poppy seeds.
If you want to get your calcium from plant sources, it's better to go for broccoli or cruciferous vegetables in general. The latter contains about 77 mg per 100 grams of food. Even with broccoli, the absorption of calcium into our bodies is not 100%, but it is definitely higher than that of poppy seeds and other plant sources. From cruciferous vegetables, about 60% of calcium is absorbed into our bodies. However, it also depends on whether it is properly prepared. Improper preparation can destroy most or all of the vitamins, minerals and other elements that are beneficial to the body, and then eating them is useless in this respect.
In the table, we also list soy and almonds as high calcium foods. The former contains 260 mg of calcium per 100 grams of food, the latter 250 mg. It is great to include soy and almonds or various seeds in our diet. Moreover, you don't have to deal with their modification. Just "eat" them in the evening in front of the TV. Remember, however, that even from these foods you will not get 100% of the calcium they contain. The absorption rate in this case is around 10 to 15%.

Although you won't find chia seeds in our table, they are also an interesting source of calcium. In addition, it is a super food that contains other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that wash away toxins from our body. Chia seeds can be added in small amounts to your breakfast - e.g. in yoghurt or smoothies. You'll get an additional source of calcium, even if it's definitely not the daily amount you need.
Leafy greens, cabbage, kale or spinach can also be a source of calcium. It is said that a cup or so of leafy greens can cover about 25% of your daily calcium intake. However, pay attention to the absorption rate. Even with leafy greens, our bodies cannot use all the calcium. Oxalate is to blame, just as with broccoli. This reduces calcium absorption. And as with broccoli and cruciferous vegetables, preparation is important. If you simmer cabbage or spinach for a long time, you're likely to deprive yourself of calcium, vitamins and minerals altogether.

Don't forget fish

Fish can also be an important source of calcium. Interestingly, sardines, for example, contain a lot of it - canned, as well as canned salmon. A significant component here is bone marrow, which is rich in calcium. In addition to calcium, sardines also contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D in large quantities. Salmon is also a source of omega 3 fatty acids, which also provides protein.

Calcium supplements

Calcium deficiency is primarily reflected in increased tooth decay and bone breakage. However, you may also experience dermatological problems or neuromuscular irritation. For this reason, we should not underestimate the amount of calcium in our diet. Since it is not easy to maintain the right amount of calcium-rich foods in our dietso that our bodies actually absorb enough calcium, it is advisable to reach for supplements that contain calcium.
On the market, you can find tablets and soluble products that contain calcium alone, but it is often sold as a dietary supplement at the same time as zinc or magnesium. Whether you buy this complex or just calcium alone, you won't go wrong.
We've focused our writing on the best joint nutrition products, which you can read about here. In the article, you will find tips on the best products that contain high levels of calcium, among other vitamins, minerals and other elements.
Calcium in dietary supplements can be found in different variations and formulations. The most common are the tablets and capsules mentioned above. If your digestion causes you difficulties, choose calcium citrate instead of hydrate. The latter contains 21 % elemental calcium and the citrate aids digestion. You can also buy calcium lactate, which contains 13 % elemental calcium, and calcium gluconate, which contains 9 %.

What affects calcium absorption?

We have mentioned several times that calcium is not always absorbed comprehensively by the body. Most of the time, the body takes in only part of it and the rest is excreted by the body. In addition to digestive problems, calcium absorption can also be affected by our diet.k, hormones, pregnancy and breastfeeding, the diet we eat, the amount of vitamin D we take and the medications we take regularly. More calcium is needed by people who take medicines containing certain substances that increase thecalcium consumption and absorption in the body - so you need to increase your calcium intake or increase your calcium intake. increase its excretion - e.g. in the urine. For example, excess sodium in the food we eat or the drinks we take will giveIt can be phosphoric acid, which is mainly contained in some sodas, then corticosteroids, oxalates and also alcohol. If you don't indulge in a glass of wine a day or go out for a beer regularly, you should include calcium supplements in your diet.