Top 10 Calcium-Rich Foods

Surveys show that Chinese people can obtain about 400 milligrams of calcium from their three daily meals. By paying attention to selecting calcium-rich foods such as small dried shrimp, shellfish, and soy products, it is possible to get more than 400 milligrams of calcium from meals. The recommended daily calcium intake for adults is 800 milligrams.

Sesame Paste

1. Sesame Paste

Many people would think that milk has the highest calcium content, but surprisingly, the richest source of calcium in daily food is sesame paste. Every 100 grams of sesame paste contains 1057 milligrams of calcium.

Sesame paste is rich in protein, amino acids, and various vitamins and minerals, making it highly beneficial for health. Its calcium content is much higher than that of vegetables and legumes. Regular consumption is very beneficial for the development of bones and teeth (do not eat it with vegetables like spinach, as it can form calcium oxalate precipitates with oxalic acid or soluble oxalates in vegetables, affecting calcium absorption). Sesame paste contains several times more iron than pork liver and egg yolks. Regular consumption not only helps adjust picky eating and loss of appetite but also corrects and prevents iron-deficiency anemia.

Additionally, sesame paste is rich in lecithin, which can prevent premature graying or loss of hair. Sesame contains a large amount of oil, which has a good effect on moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements. Eating sesame paste often can increase skin elasticity, making the skin soft and healthy. It is recommended to eat 10 to 20 grams daily.

2. Dried Shrimp

Dried shrimp is very rich in calcium, with 991 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams, second only to sesame paste. Dried shrimp is nutritious, with several times to tens of times more protein than fish, eggs, and milk. It is also rich in minerals like potassium, iodine, magnesium, and phosphorus, as well as components like vitamin A and aminophylline. Its meat is soft and easy to digest, making it an excellent food for people who are weak or need to recover from an illness.

Furthermore, dried shrimp is rich in magnesium, which plays an important role in regulating heart activity and can well protect the cardiovascular system. It can reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, prevent arteriosclerosis, and also dilate the coronary arteries, which is beneficial for preventing hypertension and myocardial infarction. Elderly people often eating dried shrimp can prevent osteoporosis caused by calcium deficiency. Adding some dried shrimp to the meals of the elderly is very helpful for increasing appetite and strengthening the body.

3. Milk

Milk is very high in nutritional value, and the types of minerals in milk are also very abundant. Besides the well-known calcium, it also contains high amounts of phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and molybdenum. Most importantly, milk is the best source of calcium for the human body, and the calcium-phosphorus ratio is very appropriate, which is conducive to calcium absorption. Its composition is complex, with at least 100 types of components, mainly water, fat, phospholipids, protein, lactose, and inorganic salts.

Among them, whole milk, which is the common milk we see, has a protein content of about 3%, a fat content of about 3%, and a calcium content of about 120 milligrams/100 milliliters. It also contains fat-soluble vitamins K, A, E, etc., making it the best type of milk for calcium supplementation. 100 milliliters of whole milk contains 676 milligrams of calcium. Because milk is convenient to consume, it has become the first choice for calcium supplementation.

Light Cheesecake

4. Cheese

Dairy products are the best choice for calcium supplementation from food, and cheese is a dairy product with high calcium content, and this calcium is easily absorbed. Every 100 grams of cheese contains 659 milligrams of calcium, which is rich in calcium.

Cheese can enhance the body's ability to resist diseases, promote metabolism, increase vitality, protect eye health, and keep the skin beautiful. The lactic acid bacteria and their metabolic products in cheese have certain health benefits for the human body, helping to maintain the stability and balance of the normal flora in the human intestine, and preventing constipation and diarrhea. Cheese contains a lot of fat and energy, but its cholesterol content is relatively low, which is also beneficial for cardiovascular health.

5. Mustard Greens

In addition to common calcium-rich foods like dairy products and dried shrimp, vegetables also have very high calcium content. Every 100 grams of mustard greens contains 294 milligrams of calcium. In addition, mustard greens are rich in vitamins A, B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D. Its specific effects include refreshing the mind, as mustard greens contain a large amount of ascorbic acid, which is a highly active reducing substance that participates in important oxidation-reduction processes in the body. It can increase the oxygen content in the brain and stimulate the brain's use of oxygen, thereby refreshing the mind and relieving fatigue.

Secondly, it has the effect of detoxifying and reducing swelling. It can resist infection and prevent diseases, inhibit the toxicity of bacterial toxins, and promote wound healing. It can be used as an auxiliary treatment for infectious diseases. It also has the effect of stimulating appetite and aiding digestion. Because pickled mustard greens have a special umami and aroma, they can promote the digestive function of the stomach and intestines, increase appetite, and can be used to stimulate appetite and help digestion.

Finally, it can also brighten the eyes, benefit the diaphragm, and relax the bowels. This is because the tissue of mustard greens is relatively coarse and hard, and contains carotene and a large amount of dietary fiber, so it has the effect of brightening the eyes and relaxing the bowels. It can be used as a good dietary therapy for eye patients and can also prevent constipation, especially suitable for the elderly and people with habitual constipation.

Sea Cucumber Congee

6. Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumber, known as "sea ginseng," gets its name because its tonic effect is similar to ginseng. Sea cucumber is rich in calcium, with 285 milligrams of calcium per 100 milligrams of sea cucumber. In addition, it is rich in nutritional value.

Sea cucumber has high nutritional value. Every 100 grams of rehydrated sea cucumber contains 14.9 grams of protein, 0.9 grams of fat, 0.4 grams of carbohydrates, 357 milligrams of calcium, 12 milligrams of phosphorus, 2.4 milligrams of iron, as well as vitamins B1, B2, and niacin. Sea cucumber contains extremely low cholesterol and is a typical high-protein, low-fat, low-cholesterol food. Coupled with its tender texture and easy digestibility, it is very suitable for the elderly, children, and people with weak constitutions.

7. Seaweed

Seaweed is rich in nutrition and has a high iodine content, which can be used to treat "goiter" caused by iodine deficiency. But its calcium-supplementing ability should not be ignored either. Every 100 grams of seaweed contains 264 milligrams of calcium.

Seaweed is also rich in choline, calcium, and iron, which can enhance memory, treat anemia in women and children, and promote the growth and health of bones and teeth. It contains a certain amount of mannitol, which can be used as an auxiliary food for treating edema. The polysaccharides in seaweed can significantly enhance cellular and humoral immune functions, promote lymphocyte transformation, and improve the body's immunity. It can significantly reduce the total serum cholesterol content. The active ingredients in seaweed have an inhibition rate of 53.2% against Ehrlich's carcinoma, and are helpful in the prevention and treatment of brain tumors, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, malignant lymphoma, and other tumors.

Cold-dressed Wood Ear Mushroom

8. Wood Ear Mushroom

Wood ear mushroom is a good product for lowering blood pressure. In addition to this effect, its calcium-supplementing ability is also very strong, ranking eighth. Every 100 grams of wood ear mushroom contains 247 milligrams of calcium. It contains carbohydrates, 10.6 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat, 306 joules of heat, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. It has effects such as replenishing qi, satisfying hunger, making the body light and strengthening the intellect, stopping bleeding and relieving pain, and nourishing blood and activating blood circulation. It is rich in polysaccharide gel, which has a good lubricating effect and is an important health food for miners and textile workers. It also has certain anti-cancer and cardiovascular disease treatment functions.

The gelatin in wood ear mushrooms can adsorb and concentrate dust and impurities remaining in the human digestive system and excrete them, thus playing the role of cleansing the stomach and intestines. At the same time, it also helps to digest fiber-like substances and has a dissolving and melting effect on accidentally ingested indigestible foreign objects such as hair, husks, wood chips, sand, and metal chips. Therefore, it is an indispensable health food for miners, chemical workers, and textile workers.

It also has a relatively significant effect of dissolving endogenous foreign bodies such as gallstones and kidney stones. Wood ear mushrooms can reduce blood clots and prevent diseases such as thrombosis, and have the effect of preventing and treating atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. It contains anti-tumor active substances, which can enhance the body's immunity, and regular consumption can prevent and fight cancer.

9. Kelp

The rich calcium content of kelp is often overlooked. In fact, every 100 grams of kelp contains 241 milligrams of calcium. In addition, kelp contains alginic acid, fucoidin, galactan and other polysaccharides, kelp amino acid, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline and other amino acids, vitamins B1, B2, C, P and carotene, and inorganic salts such as iodine, potassium, and calcium.

Kelp is rich in iodine and iodide, which has the effect of preventing and treating iodine-deficient goiter; kelp amino acid and potassium salt have a blood pressure-lowering effect; alginic acid and kelp amino acid have the effect of lowering serum cholesterol; its hot water extract has a significant cytotoxic effect on human KB cells in vitro, a significant inhibitory effect on S180 tumors, and can enhance the body's humoral immunity and promote the body's cellular immunity. Fucoidan can prevent and treat high blood sugar.

Candied Black Beans

10. Black Soybean

The calcium content of black soybeans is also very rich, higher than that of ordinary soybeans. Every 100 grams of black soybeans contains 224 milligrams of calcium. The protein content in black soybeans is as high as 36%-40%, which is 2 times that of meat, 3 times that of eggs, and 12 times that of milk.

Black soybeans contain 18 kinds of amino acids, especially the 8 essential amino acids for the human body. Black soybeans also contain 19 kinds of oleic acid, and their unsaturated fatty acid content reaches 80%, with an absorption rate of over 95%. In addition to meeting the human body's needs for fat, it also has the effect of lowering cholesterol in the blood. Black soybeans basically contain no cholesterol, only plant sterols. Plant sterols are not absorbed and utilized by the human body, but they can inhibit the human body's absorption of cholesterol and reduce the cholesterol content in the blood. Therefore, regular consumption of black soybeans can soften blood vessels, nourish the skin, and delay aging. It is especially beneficial for patients with hypertension, heart disease, etc.

The content of trace elements in black soybeans, such as zinc, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, and fluorine, is very high. These trace elements are very important for delaying human aging and reducing blood viscosity. The crude fiber content in black soybeans is as high as 4%. Regular consumption of black soybeans can provide crude fiber in food, promote digestion, and prevent constipation.