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© St. Petersburg Times, published September 11, 2002
Nothing against moo juice, but we can drink only so many glasses of milk in a day.
Although calcium-fortified orange juice and cereals pack a hefty dose, what about the calcium content of some other foods, notably those that lack a label?
Here are a few plentiful, and sometimes surprising, sources of calcium (the numbers given are in milligrams):
Plain low-fat yogurt (1 cup), 448.
Aged Parmesan (1 ounce), 335.
Milk (1 cup nonfat), 301.
Spinach (1 cup cooked), 245.
Fresh mozzarella cheese (1 ounce, part skim), 207.
Kale (1 cup cooked), 179.
Chinese cabbage, such as pak (bok) choi (1 cup cooked), 158.
Dried figs (4 medium), 110.
Orange (1 medium), 56.
Papaya (1 medium), 73.
Almonds (1 ounce, about 24), 70.
The Recommended Daily Allowance of calcium per day is: 4 to 8 years old, 800mg; 9 to 18 years old, 1,300mg; adults to age 51, 1,000 mg, and adults older than 51, 1,200mg.
A source of frustration: Most food labels indicate calcium content in a percentage rather than a number of milligrams.
Those percentages are based on the RDA for adults.
Many children don't get enough calcium in their diet. And calcium is an essential nutrient for building strong bones. After age 25, the body stops building bone mass and absorbing calcium.
But calcium does more than build and maintain bones. It also is involved in muscle and nerve contractions, and blood clotting, and it may play a role in preventing colon cancer.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database, www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp -- Information from the Washington Post and Times wires was used in this report.