Sunday, October 12, 2008

calcium

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted here.
I have lost enough weight to put me back in my acceptable range.  I definitely need to exercise, though.

The other day I was at the health store to buy calcium supplements.  The sales woman told me something I hadn't heard before.  Even though the recommended intake for women is 1000 to 1500 mg per day, she said it is potentially harmful to try to get all of that through supplements.  She recommended taking about 500 from supplements and getting the rest from food.  
Apparently your body is only about to absorb about 20% of the mineral from the supplement.  The rest has to be eliminated by the body.  This can possibly contribute to kidney stones and other problems. 
When you eat food, your body is able to absorb 100% of the mineral.
I guess that's what supplement means, isn't it?  I tend to use them as substitutes instead.  

So, here are some good dietary sources of calcium.  What are some of your favorites?  


Dairy FoodsServingcalcium (mg)



Milk, whole, 2%, 1% skim
1 cup
300
Milk, evaporated
1/2 cup
367
Cheese, hard
50 gm
360 (average)*
Processed cheese spread
4 Tbsp
348
Cheese, processed slices
50 gm
276
Cottage cheese, 1 or 2%
2 cups
310
Cottage cheese, <0.1%
2 cups
156
Yogurt, plain
3/4 cup
290 (average)*
Yogurt, fruit bottom
3/4 cup
233 (average)*
Frozen yogurt, soft serve
1 cup
218
Ice cream
1 cup
194
*calcium content varies, check label
 
Beans and Bean ProductsServingcalcium (mg)
Tofu, medium firm or firm, made with calcium sulphate
150 gm
347
Tofu, firm, made with calcium sulphate and magnesium chloride
150 gm
234
White beans
3/4 cup
119
Navy beans
3/4 cup
93
Black turtle beans
3/4 cup
75
Pinto beans, chickpeas
3/4 cup
58
 
Nuts and SeedsPortioncalcium (mg)
Tahini (sesame seed butter)
2 Tbsp
130
Almonds, dry roast
1/4 cup
93
Almond butter
2 Tbsp
88
Sesame seed kernels, dried
1/4 cup
50
 
Meats, Fish, and PoultryServingcalcium (mg)
Sardines, Atlantic, canned with bones
75 gm
286
Sardines, Pacific, canned with bones
75 gm
180
Salmon, canned with bones
75 gm
208
 
GrainsServingcalcium (mg)



Oats, instant, regular, no sugar added
1 pouch
165
 
Non Dairy DrinksServingcalcium (mg)


Regular soy beverage
1 cup
110

 
Vegetables (all measures for cooked vegetables)Servingcalcium (mg)
Turnip greens
1/2 cup
104
Chinese cabbage/bok choy
1/2 cup
84
Okra, frozen
1/2 cup
65
Mustard greens
1/2 cup
55
Kale
1/2 cup
49
Chinese broccoli (gai lan)
1/2 cup
46
Rutabaga
1/2 cup
43
Broccoli
1/2 cup
33
 
Fruit
Serving
calcium (mg)
Orange
1 med
52
 
OtherServingcalcium (mg)
Brown sugar
1 cup
198
Blackstrap molasses
1 Tbsp
179
Regular molasses
1 Tbsp
44
 
Asian FoodsServingcalcium (mg)
Dried fish, smelt
35 gm
560
Soy bean curd slab, semisoft
100 gm
308
Daylily flower
100 gm
303
Sea cucumber, fresh
100 gm
285
Soy bean milk film, stick shape
100 gm
77
Seaweed, Wakame, raw
1/2 cup
63
Seaweed, dry (agar)
1/2 cup
50
Fat-choy, dried
1/4 cup
50
Soy bean milk film, dried
100 gm
48
Boiled bone soup
1/2 cup
negligible

5 comments:

Julie said...

Wow! Who knew so many things had calcium in it. I didn't. Glad your acceptable again. :) Glad your posting again on this blog. Okay, bye.

Robin said...

Glad to see a new post :)

I've heard the same thing about suppliments and have strugged the same way in wanting them to be my substitute...

Too bad we can't get our daily calcium requirement from ice cream (wishful thinking) - I guess we could if we bought the kind that has 20% calcium per serving and then of course we'd HAVE to eat five servings, BUT that would be another problem...

Great list of calcium foods.

Robin said...

Oh forgot to say great job on the weight loss... For some reason I keep gaining... haha Just hope it doesn't take forever to lose all the baby weight after the little one is born.

Yesterday when I got on the scale at the doctor's office I gasped (probably shot my BP up momentarily). Fortunately it was down when they took my BP.

Robin said...

Question for you Kay...

You mentioned eating food rather than supplements to get your calcium (all vitamins would be best that way)....

Well my question is what about those foods like Total cereal that boast that you are getting 100% of the RDA of calcium and a bunch of other vitamins. Do they count for anything or are they just a waste since its hard for our body to process supplements or is it easier when its mixed in with food like cereal, frozen yogurt, etc... I see many different forms of calcium suppliments added to lots of cereals, OJ, even milk, yogurt, etc...

Any thoughts?

Melanie said...

Thanks...have to be careful..since I tend to get stones so easy!