Most adults ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. If you're looking for ways to get your daily dose of calcium without consuming dairy, there are plenty of options. Chia seeds and dark green vegetables from the cruciferous family are excellent sources of calcium that can help you reach your daily requirement. Chia seeds are a great source of calcium, and two cups of cooked broccoli contain the same amount of bioavailable calcium as a glass of milk.
Fruits such as figs, oranges, kiwis and blackberries are also rich in calcium. To get 50 mg of calcium, you can chop a cup of blackberries or 2 kiwis. Vegetables in the cruciferous family lack certain plant compounds that block calcium absorption found in many other calcium-rich plants, such as oxalates and phytates. While other vegetables such as spinach and chard contain a good amount of calcium, they are also high in oxalic acid, making this calcium less available for our body to absorb.
To learn more about the amount of calcium in your bones, a blood test won't be too helpful since for an average healthy person, blood calcium levels remain within a narrow range regardless of how much calcium you consume. By including chia seeds and dark green vegetables from the cruciferous family in your diet, you can easily get your daily dose of 1,000 mg of calcium without consuming dairy.
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