Calcium—so misunderstood. Most folks assume they need it only for their bones when in fact it does all kinds of other useful, and crucial things.

Athletes, for example, need calcium for proper muscle contraction. Healthy nerve function also depends on calcium (if you like feelings things when you touch them, thank calcium for this). Calcium also helps regulate blood pressure and wound healing. Then there’s body pH; enough calcium is what keeps it in pH balance (the state that supports immunity and wards off disease).

How much calcium is actually needed to get all the advantages? The RDA is 1,000mg for men and 1,200mg for women. The number the RDA is based on, the one that really matters, though, is how much calcium you absorb, not how much you eat. The average adult need to absorb 300-400mg every day.

So if your calcium is 100% absorbed, you’ll only need 300-400mg. But this never happens, because in reality no source of calcium is 100% absorbed. Take milk and dairy products for instance: You only absorb 32% of its calcium, so you’d need to eat close to the RDA. But if you prefer getting your calcium from vegetables, their calcium is better absorbed and you need to eat less. And this difference is important to know and remember. Dairy carries many more calories than do vegetables, so if you’re concerned about weight, but still determined to get enough calcium, then vegetables would take priority in your diet.

Thus, when trying to find good food sources of calcium, ask two questions:

1. How much calcium is in this food? (Most folks stop here, assuming they have all the information they need.)

2. How much of that calcium is actually absorbable? (This is the neglected, but most important question.)

BOTH questions need answering. Here are two charts that answers these questions. (Consider creating a “Calcium” chapter in your Cook’n 12 and transferring this information for quick on-going reference.)

CALCIUM FROM FOOD:

Food	Serving Size	Calcium per serving
Bones	3 grams (weight of a penny, or the nibbled-off end of a chicken drumstick)	Roughly 1,000mg
Dried seaweed	1 tbsp. (14 grams)	560-980mg (depending on species)
Canned salmon (with bones)	1 6-ounce serving	424mg
Sardines (with bones)	1 can (3.75oz)	351mg
Most dairy products	1 cup (8oz)	300mg (approximately)
Collard greens	1 cup cooked	266mg
Spinach	1 cup cooked	245mg
Turnip greens	1 cup cooked	197mg
Scallops	6 ounces	193mg
Fresh seaweed	3.5 ounces (100g)	Approx. 170mg
Bok choi	1 cup cooked	158mg
Mineral water (e.g. San Pellegrino)	20oz (the size of a vending-machine bottle)	Varies; the average for the US and Canada is 122mg.
Mustard greens	1 cup cooked	104mg
Swiss chard	1 cup cooked	101mg
Broccoli	1 cup cooked	94mg
Kale	1 cup cooked	94mg
Tap water (note: this doesn’t include bottled water: purified bottled water like Dasani has almost none)	8oz (1 cup)	Varies; the average is 12mg*
Bone broth	8oz (1 cup)	Unknown, and varies from batch to batch.

GOOD SOURCES OF ABSORBABLE CALCIUM:

Food	Serving Size	Calcium absorbed per serving
Bones	3 grams (weight of a penny, or the nibbled-off end of a chicken drumstick)	270mg
Collard greens	1 cup cooked	173mg
Canned salmon (with bones)	1 6-ounce serving	114mg
Turnip greens	1 cup cooked	102mg
Milk	1 cup	96mg
Sardines (with bones)	1 can (3.75oz)	95mg
Bok choi	1 cup cooked	69mg
Broccoli	1 cup cooked	57mg
Kale	1 cup cooked	46mg
Mineral water (e.g. San Pellegrino)	20oz (the size of a vending-machine bottle)	41-45mg
Mustard greens	1 cup cooked	42mg
Spinach	1 cup cooked	12mg
Tap water (note: this doesn’t include bottled water: purified bottled water like Dasani has almost none)	8oz	4mg
Dried seaweed	1 tbsp.	Unknown
Fresh seaweed	3.5oz	Unknown
Scallops	6 ounces	Unknown
Swiss chard	1 cup cooked	Unknown
Bone broth	1 cup (8oz)	Unknown

The take-away from all this baffle-gab? Three things: 1) If you regularly make green smoothies, start including more collard greens, turnip greens, and kale, and cut back on the spinach. 2) It would be smart to learn to make and use bone broth! And 3) more meals ought to include canned salmon.

I’ll conclude not just with these three easy steps to boosting overall health through including more absorbable calcium in your diet, but with a canned salmon recipe that Aunt Annie taught me years ago. Who knew she was doing us such a favor!

CANNED SALMON CAKES (serves 6)

1 can (14 oz.) salmon, drained, skin and bones discarded

1 package (6 oz.) seasoned stuffing mix

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 to 3 green onions, sliced

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine ingredients; shape into 12 patties, using about 1/3 cup stuffing mixture for each patty. Refrigerate 10 min. Heat large heavy nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add patties, in batches; cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, turning carefully after 3 min. Serve with lemon juice drizzled atop each pattie and dollops of ranch dressing.

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