How to maximize your calcium intake through diet

Make sure that you are getting an adequate amount of calcium every day

Consult a reliable food chart - like the one below - which shows the calcium content of specific foods. Calculate your daily calcium intake and see if you are achieving the levels recommended by Osteoporosis Canada in the chart above.

Eat foods that contain calcium that is easily absorbed

Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium because they contain high amounts of calcium that are easily absorbed by the body. Skim milk products provide as much calcium as whole milk with the added advantage of less fat and cholesterol. Some calcium-fortified soy beverages and orange juices may contain as much calcium as milk (check the labels). Vegetables also provide calcium, as do fish products containing bones (canned salmon and sardines) and meat alternatives such as lentils and beans.

Pay attention to foods that cause calcium loss

There is evidence to suggest that calcium loss through the urine is increased by the consumption of excess salt and caffeine.

Salt (sodium): Over 90% of sodium comes from food rather than from table salt. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the intake of salt and salty foods to a minimum.

Caffeine: Most experts agree that two to three cups of coffee or cola a day is probably not detrimental if calcium intake is adequate. If you consume more than four cups a day, have at least one glass of milk for every cup of caffeine-containing beverage (or make your coffee a café latté).

If you eat few or no dairy products, monitor your calcium intake carefully

Some people are unable or choose not to eat dairy foods. If you are one of these individuals, we strongly recommend that you educate yourself on the calcium content of other foods. Monitor your calcium intake very carefully (possibly with the help of a dietitian) and consider a calcium supplement to make sure you meet your daily requirement.

When you can't get enough calcium from food

If you find it difficult to obtain the recommended amounts of calcium through diet alone, a combination of foods rich in calcium and calcium supplements is a good strategy.

Calcium supplements are tablets, capsules or liquids containing the mineral calcium from a non-food source. These sources include:

• Calcium carbonate, which can be refined from limestone, natural elements of the earth, or may come from shell sources, usually oyster. Shell sources are often described on the label as a "natural" source. Calcium carbonate from oyster shells is not "refined" and can contain variable amounts of lead.
• Chelated calcium, which refers to a special way in which calcium is chemically combined with another substance. Calcium citrate is an example of such a chelated preparation. Calcium may also be combined with other substances to form preparations such as calcium lactate or calcium gluconate.
• Powdered bone (bonemeal) or dolomite, a mineral found in rock. (Bonemeal is not recommended, as it may contain contaminants.)

*Approximate values. **Added calcium may settle to the bottom of the container; shake well before drinking. ***Calcium-enriched milk - add 100 mg per serving.

The calcium in soy beverage is absorbed at the rate of 75% of milk. The calcium in some foods such as sesame seeds, rhubarb, Swiss chard and spinach is not well absorbed, because of very high oxalate content, which binds the calcium. Therefore these foods have not been included.