In general, dairy products are considered the most important source of calcium. But what if you want to eat vegan? Don't worry - your needs can also be adequately covered with plant-based foods! In this article we explain which calcium foods are vegan and what you need to pay attention to.
Calcium is essential for the human organism. The mineral keeps bones and teeth stable and contributes to the transmission of stimuli between nerves and muscles. It also plays an important role in blood vessels, blood pressure and blood clotting.
If the body does not have enough calcium available, deficiency symptoms occur. Muscle cramps, brittle fingernails, dry skin, hair loss, but also cardiac arrhythmias, rickets and osteoporosis can be the result.
The bones serve as calcium stores for our body . If there is not enough supply, it breaks down bone mass in order to maintain the calcium concentration in the blood.
An acute deficiency cannot therefore necessarily be determined using blood tests. However, a chronic deficiency leads to bone softening (known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults).
How much calcium do humans need?
Calcium is supplied naturally through food. However, part of the absorbed amount is excreted via urine, stool and sweat. That's why it's important that you regularly eat calcium-rich foods.
The German Society for Nutrition defines the daily calcium requirement as follows :
- Children 10 to 12 years: 1100 mg
- Adolescents 13 to 18 years: 1200 mg
- Adults: 1000 mg
Children and adolescents need more calcium than adults because they are growing. You need the mineral for the formation of teeth and for the healthy development of bones, muscles and joints.
By the way, the reference values for calcium supply are not the same in all countries. In England, for example, they are only 700 mg for adults.
The higher values in Germany, Austria or the USA are based on a typical “ Western ” diet (lots of animal protein, lots of table salt). Interesting for vegans: According to the WHO, if you avoid animal proteins, your calcium requirement could be reduced by around 25%.
Do vegans have a calcium deficiency?
Many doctors and nutritionists still warn against a vegan diet. They relate to bone health and specifically to the prevention of osteoporosis.
Milk and dairy products should be indispensable for this. But, is this really the truth? Current studies speak a different language. A large Swedish study even comes to the conclusion that high milk consumption increases the risk of bone fractures in women.
It's true : calcium absorption plays an essential role in bone metabolism. However, this does not depend on milk consumption, as it can also be achieved through vegan alternatives . How well it works depends on various factors, which we will discuss below.
Incidentally, the human body has its own mechanisms to prevent a deficiency: when there is an increased need for calcium (for example during puberty or during pregnancy), it automatically increases the absorption rate.
During this time, your body absorbs more of the calcium dose that you give your body than usual. The rate can fluctuate between 15 and 60 percent and constantly adjusts.
Even if you don't reach the recommended reference values, that doesn't mean you have a calcium deficiency. As already mentioned, due to your diet ( vegan products , vegan protein sources).
Your need for calcium has decreased anyway. In an English cohort study , vegans with a calcium intake of 525 mg per day or more had the same risk of bone fractures as the other participants.
Which vegan foods are richest in calcium?
The most valuable plant sources of calcium include green vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes (which are also excellent vegan protein sources ). Consuming tofu or calcium-rich mineral water will also help you meet your needs.
When using milk substitutes like soy or oat milk, it's best to choose ones that are fortified with calcium.
Vegetables that are particularly rich in calcium include:
- Onions
- green beans
- Kale
- broccoli
- arugula
- Chinese cabbage
- savoy
- Parsley
- leaf spinach
- Mung beans
Many seeds and nuts also have a high calcium content:
- poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Chia seeds
- linseed
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
Our tip : Where there are vegan products , you can usually also find calcium-rich green powder made from nettles, dandelion leaves or broccoli. For an extra portion of calcium, you can mix these into smoothies, juices, soups or salads.
Is fruit suitable as a source of calcium?
With less than 10 mg per 100 g, apples, pears, bananas etc. occupy a rather modest place as a source of calcium. Dried goji berries , on the other hand, with an average of 190 mg, also deserve the name superfood when it comes to calcium.
Rose hips, dried figs and lemon peel also contain a lot of the valuable nutrient.
The following fruits and berries are in the range between 50 and 75 mg per 100 g:
- Tamarind
- Dried prunes
- Dates
- Kumquats
- Prickly pears
- dried apricots
- Blackcurrants
- Maraschino cherries
How do you ensure calcium supply on a vegan diet?
Calcium absorption in the body is influenced by a complex interaction of different factors. The basic requirement is, of course, that you eat enough foods containing calcium. But which foods you combine with each other also plays a crucial role.
Before we go into detail, here are a few general rules:
- Distribute your calcium portions evenly throughout the day! This way, your body absorbs more of it than if it were given the entire dose at once.
- Make sure you exercise regularly! At a young age, exercise promotes the incorporation of calcium into the bones. Later (around the age of 30) the main thing is to slow down the breakdown of calcium.
- Soak legumes in water for at least 12 hours before cooking them! This reduces the natural phytate content so that minerals are better absorbed.
- Combine calcium sources with citrus fruits, raisins or fermented products such as sauerkraut! The acids it contains (citric acid, tartaric acid and lactic acid) make it easier for your body to absorb the calcium.
What does the bioavailability of calcium depend on?
The bioavailability of a nutrient is the percentage that the body can actually absorb from the amount consumed. For milk calcium this is around 30%.
It is a rumor that plant-based foods generally perform worse as calcium suppliers . Broccoli, for example, has a bioavailability of 60% and kale is also far ahead of dairy products at 49%.
Plants such as chard, spinach or rhubarb, on the other hand, contain a high amount of oxalic acid. This massively hinders calcium absorption. This reduces the bioavailability of the mineral to less than 10%.
Table salt also plays a role because it promotes the excretion of calcium via the kidneys. The more salt you consume, the greater the loss of calcium in the urine.
As already mentioned, calcium absorption also changes with the size of the “ portions ”. If you only supply your body with small amounts of the nutrient, it will automatically absorb more of it.
On the other hand, if you pack all of the day's calcium sources into a single meal, a large portion of it will be lost unused.
What are the biggest calcium inhibitors?
In addition to oxalic acid, phytates also reduce the bioavailability of calcium . These are particularly found in whole grain products and sesame. The tannic acid from black tea and coffee also inhibits calcium absorption.
Furthermore, increased consumption of animal protein, alcohol and phosphates has a negative effect. Products processed in the food industry in particular usually contain too many phosphates.
But that doesn't mean that you can't eat spinach, drink coffee or avoid salt in your soup. The only important thing is that you know the connections in order to regulate your calcium intake accordingly .
For example, if you postpone drinking coffee for an hour or two after a calcium-rich meal, your body can absorb the valuable mineral undisturbed. So you still don't have to miss out on anything.
What role does vitamin D play in calcium absorption?
Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption in the intestines . Even the most calcium-rich foods will only benefit you if you have enough vitamin D.
But where does your body get the “ sunshine vitamin ” from? He creates it himself! To do this, however, it requires the UV radiation from the sun, which you absorb through your skin outside. In the winter months this doesn't work so well in our latitudes because the UV radiation is not sufficient during this time.
We therefore recommend that you have your vitamin D level checked occasionally. Your doctor will do this using a simple blood test.
If the value is actually too low, you can compensate for it with appropriate nutritional supplements (possibly in combination with vitamin K). Your bones, teeth and muscles will thank you!
What happens if you overdose on calcium?
An oversupply of calcium purely through diet is practically impossible. You can also safely consume fortified milk substitute products and other vegan alternatives with a high calcium content.
The food industry is subject to strict rules when it comes to fortification so that the amount of added nutrients remains within a safe range.
However , calcium intake via dietary supplements is problematic. This can actually lead to an overdose. In the medium to long term, this can lead to vascular calcification.
Atherosclerosis (a pathological thickening and hardening of the vessel walls) in turn increases the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition to angina pectoris and cardiac arrhythmias, this also includes heart attacks and strokes.
If you eat a balanced vegan diet, you can safely do without additional calcium supplements and not have to worry.
Vegan diet plan with sufficient calcium foods
- Breakfast :
The first source of calcium of the day could be a delicious muesli. Oat flakes, nuts, dried fruits and fresh fruit can be mixed with plant milk or calcium-rich mineral water and varied again and again.
Our delicious overnight oats with oat milk are particularly suitable for breakfast. The recipe is very simple and also rich in calcium.
You need:
- 400ml Easy To Shake Organic Oat Drink
- 10 tbsp oat flakes
- 1 tbsp chocolate cream
- 1 ripe banana
- Toppings of your choice, e.g.: granola, blueberries, nut butter
Prepare the whole thing the night before and put your oats in the fridge. The next morning you have a rich breakfast with many important nutrients.
- Lunch :
How about a leaf salad made from rocket, cress or dandelion? This could be followed by a vegan broccoli tofu pan with peanut sauce and a delicious chia pudding for dessert (3).
- Dinner :
Treat yourself to a nut bread with creamy hummus, olives and all kinds of salads! A spicy wild garlic pesto can also be used as a calcium-rich spread (preferably homemade!).
- Snacks for in between :
A green smoothie made from leafy vegetables (perhaps enriched with a spoonful of grass or nettle powder) is suitable as a small calcium bomb for in between meals. Alternatively, you can also have a piece of cake made from poppy seeds and nuts.
Conclusion: Calcium foods vegan
Calcium is one of the critical nutrients that we absolutely need. Milk is considered a classic source of calcium , but the requirement can also be easily met through plant-based foods.
How well our body can absorb the mineral depends on various factors. Vitamin D is particularly important.