Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and is essential for healthy bones and cells. How much calcium should we consume per day? What are the foods richest in calcium? The best non-dairy products? Where to find it when you are vegan? List and advice of calcium rich vegetables.
What is the purpose of calcium in the body ?
Calcium is a mineral salt that is involved in the mineralization of bones and teeth (vitamin D is also necessary for the fixation of calcium on the bones). Calcium also plays a role in muscle contraction, brain function and blood clotting. We need calcium at all ages: infants, children, teenagers, adults, pregnant or breastfeeding women, elderly people…
Green vegetables rich in calcium
Vegetables from the Cruciferae family (Brassicaceae) contain interesting quantities of calcium, in particular kale, broccoli, arugula and watercress. Other vegetables are also rich in calcium: leeks, spinach…
Legumes
Don’t give up on pulses! In addition to being rich in vegetable proteins, they contain unsuspected amounts of calcium: white beans, lupin seeds, mung beans, broad beans, chickpeas: eat them regularly, ideally in combination with cereals as part of a vegetarian meal.
Soy products
Soybeans are rich in calcium, in the form of seeds, but especially in the form of tofu, especially when it is prepared with calcium sulphate: it is then the most calcium-rich food. Ordinary tofu (prepared with calcium salt) is a little less rich, but remains an interesting food in terms of calcium intake, as do soy drinks (especially when they are fortified with calcium).
Fresh fruits and oilseeds
Oilseeds, especially almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and sesame seeds are rich in calcium. Oranges (fresh fruit or orange juice), kiwis, clementines, apricots and blackberries are also significant sources of calcium, as are figs (especially dried figs, which are more concentrated in nutrients).
Seaweed
We never think of putting them on the menu, but seaweed is also very rich in calcium. Widely present in the Japanese diet, they allow us to satisfy, along with tofu and other soy-based products, the calcium needs of the Japanese without using dairy products. The richest seaweeds are black seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), ao-nori, ogonori, wakame, sea lettuce, kombu and nori (the one that surrounds maki). You can find them in Asian grocery stores and organic food stores.
