Strong Bones and Calcium Rich Foods

Possible signs of deficiency of calcium Include spots or ridges in your fingernails, cramps including cramps in your calves at night and headaches. It is important to note that consuming caffeine and the use of some medications including steroid medications can deplete calcium and thus your needs maybe higher than the below.

Amounts needed:

In 1998, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences issued new Adequate Intake (AI) levels for calcium. The recommendations are as follows:

• 0-6 months: 210 mg
• 6-12 months: 270 mg
• 1-3 years: 500 mg
• 4-8 years: 800 mg
• 9-13 years: 1300 mg
• 14-18 years: 1300 mg
• 19-30 years: 1000 mg
• 31-50 years: 1000 mg
• 51+ years: 1200 mg
• Postmenopausal women not taking hormone replacement therapy: 1500 mg
• Pregnant and lactating women (younger than 18 years): 1300 mg
• Pregnant and lactating women (older than 18 years): 1000 mg

Adult: Additionally *Vit D 400-800 IU per day
Child: Additionally *Vit D 400 IU per day

* Vitamin D levels – are recommended to be checked in your annual exams

Calcium can be obtained from many sources over and above the dairy family. The following are examples of how to achieve your totals daily.
For example if you have 3 cups of milk or milk Fortified alternative per day as a template and then add 2 other categories dally you are well within the above recommended minimums.

Resource List 1 By Food Group

USDA nutrition references report the approximate calcium content in milligrams per 8 oz (1 cup) for many foods.

Specialty foods

Blackstrap Molasses

• Molasses, black strap 2820, 176.2 per tablespoon
  Molasses, unsulphured 672, 42 per tablespoon
• Carrot juice, fresh 57

Dark green leafy vegetables

Many dark green leafy vegetables have relatively high calcium  concentrations. The calcium in spinach is however, somewhat poorly absorbed, probably  because of the high concentration of oxalate. The study revealed that kale, a low-oxalate vegetable, is a good source of bio-available calcium. Kale is a member of the same family that includes broccoli, turnip greens, collard greens and mustard greens. These low-oxalate, calcium-rich vegetables are therefore also likely to be better sources of available calcium

• Cooked turnip greens 450
  Cooked bok choy 330
  Cooked collards 300
  Cooked spinach 250
  Cooked kale 200
  Parsley 200
  Cooked mustard greens 180
  Dandelion greens 150
  Romaine lettuce 40
  Head lettuce 10

Sprouts

• Soy 50
  Mung 35
  Alfalfa 25

Sea vegetables (seaweed)(dried powdered form)

• wakame 3,500
• kombu 2,100
• nori 1,200
• agar-agar 1,000, 62.5 per tablespoon

Beans and Peas (cooked, ready to eat)

• Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium 1721
• Tofu, regular, prepared with nigari, 260
• Navy beans 140
  Soybeans 130
  Pinto beans 100
  Garbanzo beans 95
  Lima, black beans 60
  Lentils 50
  Split peas 20

Grains

• Tapioca (dried) 300
• Tortillas, corn, calcium fortified (2) 120
  Brown rice, cooked 20
  Quinoa, cooked 80
  Corn meal, whole grain 50
  Rye flour, dark 40
  Oats 40
• Tortillas, flour or unfortified (2) 23
  Whole wheat flour 50

Milk alternatives (goal 3 per day)

• Cow’s milk 300 mg per cup
• Soy beverage, calcium-fortified variable, check nutrition information; approx 200
• Soy beverage, unfortified 9.8

Nuts & Seeds

Flax Seeds

• Sesame seeds (whole, unhulled) 2,100
• Sesame butter (unhulled sesame seeds) 1022, 63.9 per tablespoon
• Almonds 750
  Hazelnuts (filbert) 450
• Sesame butter/ tahini from hulled or decorticated seeds 315.2, 19.7 per tablespoon
• Walnuts 280
  Sunflower seeds 260

Fish & Seafood

• Fish, canned sardines or mackerel eaten with bones 569 
• Fish, canned salmon eaten with bones 440
• Shrimp 300
• Raw oysters 240
•  

Beans & Legumes

• Kidney beans 300 mg per cup
  Legumes 300 mg per cup
  Chick peas 300 mg per cup

Dried Fruits

Eating five dried figs per day gives you 135 mg of calcium

Sea Veggies

• Kombu 1000-3000 mg per cup
• Wakame 1000-3000 mg per cup

Herbs

Dried Herbs

Don’t forget to use these herbs!  These can boost your calcium even more!

 Dried savory spice holds a whopping 2132mg of calcium per 100g serving. 

 Other dried herbs that are calcium rich include borage, lamb’s quarter dill, basil, marjoram, thyme, oregano, poppy seed, mint, celery seed, wild lettuce, nettles , burdock, yellow dock,sage, parsley and rosemary.

Resource List 2- By chart

Source: www.wholefoods.com

Supplement :

 If required
1. Liquid-Genestra liquid cal mag 1 tbsp = 600 mg, once per day btwn a meal before bed
OR
2. Tablet-DynaCal – 2/ day between a meal Douglas

OR

3. Powder- Cal Ess Min- 1 tsp per day btwn  meal Alpha Science
Check with your Naturopathic Doctor for exact recommendations

Choose 3 milk alternatives per day
and add 2 other categories per day to reach optimal range