1. Osteoporosis Slideshow Pictures
2. Super Foods for Your Bones Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the Osteoporosis Quiz

Medical Author:

Coburn Hobar, MD

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Dairy foods generally contain the most concentrated amounts of calcium. The calcium is not contained in the "fat portion" of dairy products, so removing the fat (as in low-fat dairy foods) does not affect the calcium content. In fact, many low-fat dairy foods are made by replacing the fat portion with an equal part of skimmed milk, so these foods actually have increased calcium content. In other words, 1 cup of skim or low-fat milk has more calcium than 1 cup of whole milk because almost the entire cup of skim milk is made up of the calcium-containing portion.

Although dairy foods generally contain the most concentrated amounts of calcium, many other foods are good sources of calcium. Here are some food ideas and the amount of calcium they contain:

Dairy foods

• 1 cup of milk - 291-302 mg
• 1 cup of yogurt - 345-415 mg
• 1 ounce of American cheese - 174 mg
• 1 ounce of cheddar cheese - 191 mg
• 1 ounce of mozzarella cheese - 207 mg
• ½ cup ricotta cheese - 337 mg
• 1 cup of fortified soy or rice beverage - 250 mg-300 mg
• ½ cup ice cream - 80 mg-90 mg

Protein foods

• 1 cup beans (cooked) - 90 mg
• ½ cup soybeans (cooked) - 130 mg
• ½ cup tofu - 204 mg
• ½ cup hummus - 66 mg
• 3 ounces canned salmon (with bones) - 167 mg
• 3 ounces canned sardines (with bones) - 371 mg
• 4 ounces salmon - 300 mg
• ½ cup almonds - 188 mg
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds - 88 mg

Fruits

• 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice - 300 mg
• 1 orange - 92 mg
• ½ cup dried figs - 144 mg
• ½ cup rhubarb - 174 mg

Vegetables

• ½ cup broccoli (cooked) - 89 mg
• ½ cup kale (cooked) -90 mg
• ½ cup collard greens (cooked) - 74 mg
• ½ cup spinach (cooked) - 61 mg

Grains

• 1 cup fortified cereal - 200 mg-300 mg
• 1 English muffin (wheat) - 175 mg
• 2 slices bread (white) - 70 mg

The enzyme lactase can help people who are lactose intolerant digest dairy products. It can be taken either as a pill or in liquid form. Some dairy products in stores have lactase already added, other products are lactose free.

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