Plant-Based (Vegan) Sources of Calcium vs. Animal Sources of Calcium

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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 aticle links is our extensive table of calcium sources with other nutritional information.

For other extensive nutrition tables: click here!

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

'Vegan Ice Cream'
Recipes for
gourmet
dairy-free
ice cream!

Direct from the author

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 website 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 nonvegetarians. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products are good sources of calcium from plants.

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. (previously at: 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, 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."

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 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 (homogenization) and after being subjected to high heat to pasteurize it. Fresh vegetable juices are loaded with nutrients. Greens offer amazing nutrition. 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 #57 (not very good for being such a "great" source of calcium!!!). That's not top 10, 20, 30, or 40! It's not even in the top 50!!! Aren't we worth better than that???

[revised 6/7/2009]
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://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ . Please notify us of any errors.

#	Source	Calcium mg	Total fat g	Saturated fat g	Cholesterol mg	Protein g	Magnesium mg	Iron mg	Fiber g	Energy kcal
1	Spices, celery seed	1767.000	25.270	2.190	0.000	18.070	440.000	44.900	11.800	392.000
2	Seeds, sisymbrium sp. seeds, whole, dried	1633.000	4.600	0.902	0.000	12.140	314.000	0.110	?	318.000
3	Spices, dill seed	1516.000	14.540	0.730	0.000	15.980	256.000	16.330	21.100	305.000
4	Spices, poppy seed	1438.000	41.560	4.517	0.000	17.990	347.000	9.760	19.500	525.000
5	Spices, fennel seed	1196.000	14.870	0.480	0.000	15.800	385.000	18.540	39.800	345.000
6	Sesame seeds	975.000	49.670	6.957	0.000	17.730	351.000	14.550	11.800	573.000
7	Spices, cumin seed	931.000	22.270	1.535	0.000	17.810	366.000	66.360	10.500	375.000
8	Spices, coriander seed	709.000	17.770	0.990	0.000	12.370	330.000	16.320	41.900	298.000
9	Spices, caraway seed	689.000	14.590	0.620	0.000	19.770	258.000	16.230	38.000	333.000
10	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
11	Spices, anise seed	646.000	15.900	0.586	0.000	17.600	170.000	36.960	14.600	337.000
12	Seeds, chia seeds, dried	631.000	30.750	3.176	0.000	15.620	?	?	37.700	490.000
13	Spices, mustard seed, yellow	521.000	28.760	1.460	0.000	24.940	298.000	9.980	14.700	469.000
14	Winged beans, mature seeds, raw	440.000	16.320	2.303	0.000	29.650	179.000	13.440	?	409.000
15	Sesame butter, tahini	426.000	53.760	7.529	0.000	17.000	95.000	8.950	9.300	595.000
16	Soybeans, mature seeds, raw	277.000	19.940	2.884	0.000	36.490	280.000	15.700	9.300	416.000
17	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
18	Nuts, almonds	248.000	50.640	3.881	0.000	21.260	275.000	4.290	11.800	578.000
19	Peppermint, fresh	243.000	0.940	0.246	0.000	3.750	80.000	5.080	8.000	70.000
20	Beans, white, mature seeds, raw	240.000	0.850	0.219	0.000	23.360	190.000	10.440	15.200	333.000
	Back to the top!	Calcium mg	Total fat g	Saturated fat g	Cholesterol mg	Protein g	Magnesium mg	Iron mg	Fiber g	Energy kcal
21	Dill weed, fresh	208.000	1.120	0.060	0.000	3.460	55.000	6.590	2.100	43.000
22	Spearmint, fresh	199.000	0.730	0.191	0.000	3.290	63.000	11.870	6.800	44.000
23	Flax seed	199.000	34.000	3.196	0.000	19.500	362.000	6.220	27.900	492.000
24	Soybeans, green, raw	197.000	6.800	0.786	0.000	12.950	65.000	3.550	4.200	147.000
25	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
26	Milk, sheep	193.400	7.000	4.603	27.000	5.980	18.360	0.100	0.000	107.808
27	Turnip greens, raw	190.000	0.300	0.070	0.000	1.500	31.000	1.100	3.200	27.000
28	Dandelion greens, raw	187.000	0.700	0.170	0.000	2.700	36.000	3.100	3.500	45.000
29	Beans, french, mature seeds, raw	186.000	2.020	0.221	0.000	18.810	188.000	3.400	25.200	343.000
30	Basil, fresh	177.000	0.640	0.041	0.000	3.150	64.000	3.170	1.600	23.000
31	Spices, fenugreek seed	176.000	6.410	1.460	0.000	23.000	191.000	33.530	24.600	323.000
32	Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched	176.000	66.220	16.154	0.000	14.340	225.000	3.400	5.400	656.000
33	Beans, great northern, mature seeds, raw	175.000	1.140	0.356	0.000	21.860	189.000	5.470	20.200	339.000
34	Beans, small white, mature seeds, raw	173.000	1.180	0.304	0.000	21.110	183.000	7.730	24.900	336.000
35	Seaweed, kelp, raw	168.000	0.560	0.247	0.000	1.680	121.000	2.850	1.300	43.000
36	Beans, yellow, mature seeds, raw	166.000	2.600	0.671	0.000	22.000	222.000	7.010	25.100	345.000
37	lotus seeds	163.000	1.970	0.330	0.000	15.410	210.000	3.530	?	332.000
38	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
39	Arugula, raw	160.000	0.660	0.086	0.000	2.580	47.000	1.460	1.600	25.000
40	Beans, navy, mature seeds, raw	155.000	1.280	0.331	0.000	22.330	173.000	6.440	24.400	335.000
	Back to the top!	Calcium mg	Total fat g	Saturated fat g	Cholesterol mg	Protein g	Magnesium mg	Iron mg	Fiber g	Energy kcal
41	Mothbeans, mature seeds, raw	150.000	1.610	0.364	0.000	22.940	381.000	10.850	?	343.000
42	Seaweed, wakame, raw	150.000	0.640	0.130	0.000	3.030	107.000	2.180	0.500	45.000
43	Collards, raw	145.000	0.420	0.055	0.000	2.450	9.000	0.190	3.600	30.000
44	Figs, dried, uncooked	144.000	1.170	0.234	0.000	3.050	59.000	2.230	12.200	255.000
45	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
46	Mungo beans, mature seeds, raw	138.000	1.640	0.114	0.000	25.210	267.000	7.570	18.300	341.000
47	Parsley, raw	138.000	0.790	0.132	0.000	2.970	50.000	6.200	3.300	36.000
48	Yardlong beans, mature seeds, raw	138.000	1.310	0.339	0.000	24.330	338.000	8.610	11.000	347.000
49	Kale, raw	135.000	0.700	0.091	0.000	3.300	34.000	1.700	2.000	50.000
50	Milk, goat	133.500	4.140	2.667	11.400	3.560	13.970	0.050	0.000	68.813
51	Mung beans, mature seeds, raw	132.000	1.150	0.348	0.000	23.860	189.000	6.740	16.300	347.000
52	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
53	Beans, pink, mature seeds, raw	130.000	1.130	0.292	0.000	20.960	182.000	6.770	12.700	343.000
54	Wasabi, root, raw	128.000	0.630	?	0.000	4.800	69.000	1.030	7.700	109.000
55	Beans, cranberry (roman), mature seeds, raw	127.000	1.230	0.316	0.000	23.030	156.000	5.000	24.700	335.000
56	Beans, black, mature seeds, raw	123.000	1.420	0.366	0.000	21.600	171.000	5.020	15.200	341.000
57	Milk, nonfat	123.000	0.180	0.117	2.000	3.410	11.000	0.040	0.000	35.000
58	Beans, pinto, mature seeds, raw	121.000	1.130	0.235	0.000	20.880	159.000	5.880	24.400	340.000
59	Watercress, raw	120.000	0.100	0.027	0.000	2.300	21.000	0.200	1.500	11.000
60	Milk, producer, fluid, 3.7% milkfat	119.000	3.660	2.278	14.300	3.280	13.400	0.050	0.000	64.172
	Back to the top!	Calcium mg	Total fat g	Saturated fat g	Cholesterol mg	Protein g	Magnesium mg	Iron mg	Fiber g	Energy kcal
61	Sunflower seed	116.000	49.570	5.195	0.000	22.780	354.000	6.770	10.500	570.000
62	Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts	114.000	60.750	4.464	0.000	14.950	163.000	4.700	9.700	628.000
63	Tempeh	111.000	10.800	2.220	0.000	18.540	81.000	2.703	?	193.000
64	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
65	Tomatoes, sun-dried	110.000	2.970	0.426	0.000	14.110	194.000	9.090	12.300	258.000
66	Peanuts, spanish, raw	106.000	49.600	7.642	0.000	26.150	188.000	3.910	9.500	570.000
67	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
68	Nuts, walnuts, English	104.000	65.210	6.126	0.000	15.230	158.000	2.910	6.700	654.000
69	Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, raw	103.000	1.530	0.254	0.000	26.120	192.000	6.700	25.000	341.000
70	Mustard greens, raw	103.000	0.200	0.010	0.000	2.700	32.000	1.460	3.300	26.000
71	Chicory greens, raw	100.000	0.300	0.073	0.000	1.700	30.000	0.900	4.0	23.000
72	Spinach, raw	99.000	0.350	0.056	0.000	2.860	79.000	2.710	2.700	22.000
73	Seeds, breadnuttree seeds, raw	98.000	0.990	0.267	0.000	5.970	68.000	2.090	?	217.000
74	Tempeh, cooked	95.600	11.380	3.290	0.000	18.190	77.200	2.126	?	197.000
75	Currants, zante, dried	86.000	0.270	0.028	0.000	4.080	41.000	3.260	6.800	283.000
76	Rhubarb, raw	86.000	0.200	0.053	0.000	0.900	12.000	0.220	1.800	21.000
77	Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw	85.000	75.770	12.061	0.000	7.910	130.000	3.690	8.600	718.000
78	Winged beans, immature seeds, raw	84.000	0.870	0.238	0.000	6.950	34.000	1.500	?	49.000
79	Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, raw	83.000	1.060	0.154	0.000	22.530	138.000	6.690	15.200	337.000
80	Lima beans, large, mature seeds, raw	81.000	0.690	0.161	0.000	21.460	224.000	7.510	19.000	338.000
	Back to the top!	Calcium mg	Total fat g	Saturated fat g	Cholesterol mg	Protein g	Magnesium mg	Iron mg	Fiber g	Energy kcal
81	Okra, raw	81.000	0.100	0.026	0.000	2.000	57.000	0.800	3.200	33.000
82	Seaweed, irishmoss, raw	72.000	0.160	0.033	0.000	1.510	144.000	8.900	1.300	49.000
83	Nuts, pecans	70.000	71.970	6.175	0.000	9.170	121.000	2.530	9.600	691.000
84	Seaweed, laver, raw	70.000	0.280	0.061	0.000	5.810	2.000	1.800	0.300	35.000
85	Lettuce, looseleaf, raw	68.000	0.300	0.039	0.000	1.300	11.000	1.400	1.900	18.000
86	Soybeans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw	67.000	6.700	0.929	0.000	13.090	72.000	2.100	1.100	122.000
87	Beans, adzuki, mature seeds, raw	66.000	0.530	0.191	0.000	19.870	127.000	4.980	12.700	329.000
88	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
89	Quinoa	60.000	5.800	0.590	0.000	13.100	210.000	9.250	5.900	374.000
90	Beans, pinto, immature seeds, frozen, unprepared	58.000	0.500	0.061	0.000	9.800	60.000	3.000	5.700	170.000
91	Nuts, walnuts, black	58.000	56.580	3.628	0.000	24.350	202.000	3.070	5.000	607.000
92	Prickly pears, raw	56.000	0.510	0.067	0.000	0.730	85.000	0.300	3.600	41.000
93	Egg, whole, cooked, fried	55.000	15.000	4.167	459.000	13.540	11.000	1.560	0.000	199.000
94	Oats	54.000	6.900	1.217	0.000	16.890	177.000	4.720	10.600	389.000
95	Seaweed, agar, raw	54.000	0.030	0.006	0.000	0.540	67.000	1.860	0.500	26.000
96	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
97	Chard, swiss, raw	51.000	0.200	0.030	0.000	1.800	81.000	1.800	1.600	19.000
98	Lentils, mature seeds, raw	51.000	0.960	0.135	0.000	28.060	107.000	9.020	30.500	338.000
99	Prunes, dried, uncooked	51.000	0.520	0.041	0.000	2.610	45.000	2.480	7.100	239.000
100	Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled	50.000	10.610	3.267	424.000	12.580	10.000	1.190	0.000	155.000
	Back to the top!	Calcium mg	Total fat g	Saturated fat g	Cholesterol mg	Protein g	Magnesium mg	Iron mg	Fiber g	Energy kcal
101	Hyacinth-beans, immature seeds, raw	50.000	0.200	0.088	0.000	2.100	40.000	0.740	?	46.000
102	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
103	Egg, whole, raw, fresh	49.000	10.020	3.100	425.000	12.490	10.000	1.440	0.000	149.000
104	Raisins, seedless	49.000	0.460	0.150	0.000	3.220	33.000	2.080	4.000	300.000
105	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
106	Lotus root, raw	45.000	0.100	0.030	0.000	2.600	23.000	1.160	4.900	74.000
107	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
108	Beans, pinto, mature seeds, sprouted, raw	43.000	0.900	0.109	0.000	5.250	53.000	1.970	?	62.000
109	Peas, edible-podded, raw	43.000	0.200	0.039	0.000	2.800	24.000	2.080	2.600	42.000
110	Pumpkin and squash seed kernels	43.000	45.850	8.674	0.000	24.540	535.000	14.970	3.900	541.000
111	Burdock root, raw	41.000	0.150	0.025	0.000	1.530	38.000	0.800	3.300	72.000
112	Chicory roots, raw	41.000	0.200	0.048	0.000	1.400	22.000	0.800	?	73.000
113	Peanut butter, chunk style,	41.000	49.940	9.580	0.000	24.050	159.000	1.900	6.600	589.000
114	Mulberries, raw	39.000	0.390	0.027	0.000	1.440	18.000	1.850	1.700	43.000
115	Beans, fava, in pod, raw	37.000	0.730	0.118	0.000	7.920	33.000	1.550	?	88.000
116	Beans, snap, green, raw	37.000	0.120	0.026	0.000	1.820	25.000	1.040	3.400	31.000
117	Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw	36.000	0.200	0.026	0.000	1.620	6.000	1.100	1.700	14.000
118	Figs, raw	35.000	0.300	0.060	0.000	0.750	17.000	0.370	3.300	74.000
119	Lima beans, immature seeds, raw	34.000	0.860	0.198	0.000	6.840	58.000	3.140	4.900	113.000
120	Milk, human	32.200	4.380	2.009	13.900	1.030	3.400	0.030	0.000	69.563
	Back to the top!	Calcium mg	Total fat g	Saturated fat g	Cholesterol mg	Protein g	Magnesium mg	Iron mg	Fiber g	Energy kcal

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