nutrient

Calcium

An essential mineral that provides structure for bones and teeth and participates in muscle, nerve and signalling functions.

Calcium is absorbed through active transport and passive diffusion. Vitamin D, food matrix, life stage and total intake influence absorption, while the product label identifies added calcium in fortified foods.

What it does

Most body calcium is stored in mineralised tissue, while a small circulating pool supports muscle contraction, nerve transmission, blood-vessel contraction and intracellular signalling. Bone is continuously remodelled, so calcium intake is one part of a wider system.

Where it comes from

Dairy, calcium-set tofu, some fish and fortified foods can contribute. Vitamin D supports active calcium absorption, but a food amount or supplement label cannot establish a person’s calcium status.

Food sources

Per 100 g

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Chia seeds, dry	595 mg	62.63%
Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018)	382 mg	40.21%
Almonds, dry-roasted and salted	273 mg	28.74%
Almonds	254 mg	26.74%
Anchovies, canned in olive oil, drained	240 mg	25.26%

Show 46 more foods

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Ground flaxseed	230 mg	24.21%
Oat milk, unsweetened and refrigerated	148 mg	15.58%
Plain whole-milk yogurt	127 mg	13.37%
Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified	126 mg	13.26%
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat	111 mg	11.68%
Cottage cheese, 2% fat	103 mg	10.84%
Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable	101 mg	10.63%
Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	99 mg	10.42%
English walnuts, raw	88.3 mg	9.29%
Spinach	68.4 mg	7.2%
Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	67 mg	7.05%
Lentils	61.8 mg	6.51%
Whole egg, raw, frozen and pasteurized	55 mg	5.79%
Peanuts, raw	49.1 mg	5.17%
Rolled oats	45.5 mg	4.79%
Navel orange, raw	43 mg	4.53%
Hummus, commercial	41 mg	4.32%
Chickpeas, canned and rinsed	40.5 mg	4.26%
Pumpkin seeds	37.4 mg	3.94%
Carrots, frozen and unprepared	33 mg	3.47%
Mature carrots, raw	30.5 mg	3.21%
Canned diced tomatoes	30 mg	3.16%
Orange sweet potato, peeled and raw	22.3 mg	2.35%
Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018)	19 mg	2%
Light tuna, canned in water, drained	18 mg	1.89%
Strawberries, raw	16.9 mg	1.78%
Pie pumpkin, raw	16.4 mg	1.73%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018)	15 mg	1.58%
Salmon	14.8 mg	1.56%
Hass avocado, raw	14.5 mg	1.53%
Roasted beef tenderloin	13 mg	1.37%
Braised chicken drumstick	12 mg	1.26%
Blueberries, raw	11.7 mg	1.23%
Grape tomatoes, raw	11 mg	1.16%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw	9.42 mg	0.99%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	9 mg	0.95%
Brown rice, long-grain, raw	8.06 mg	0.85%
Russet potato, raw	7.8 mg	0.82%
Ground beef, 90% lean and 10% fat	7.14 mg	0.75%
Braised chicken breast	6 mg	0.63%
Banana, ripe, raw	5 mg	0.53%
Orange bell pepper, raw	4.9 mg	0.52%
Red Delicious apple, raw	4.66 mg	0.49%
White rice, long-grain, raw	4.46 mg	0.47%
Beef ribeye, raw	4.17 mg	0.44%
Chicken breast, raw	3.94 mg	0.41%

Compared with EFSA’s adult reference of 950 mg/day.

About these amounts

These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.

Healthy European adults aged 25 years and over. Population reference intake: 950 mg/day. These are population references, not individual targets.

Portions recorded by the source

Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 368.55 mg, 38.79% of the daily reference.
Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 309.96 mg, 32.63% of the daily reference.
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 173.16 mg, 18.23% of the daily reference.
Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 226.6 mg, 23.85% of the daily reference.
Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 13.9 mg, 1.46% of the daily reference.
Canned diced tomatoes: 1 cup (245 g) — 73.5 mg, 7.74% of the daily reference.
Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 1 can (142 g) — 25.56 mg, 2.69% of the daily reference.
Roasted beef tenderloin: 1 roast (462 g) — 60.06 mg, 6.32% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 12.48 mg, 1.31% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken breast: 1 piece (174 g) — 10.44 mg, 1.1% of the daily reference.

The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.

Other food connections

Fortified oat drink
Calcium may be added to Fortified oat drink; check the label.
Many plant-based drinks have calcium added, but fortification varies. Check the specific product label and declared amount.

Roles and processes

Bone
Calcium forms mineral in Bone
Calcium phosphate mineral provides much of the structural material in bone.

Worth knowing

Absorption is not the same as intake. A measured calcium amount in food is the amount declared for that variant and serving. The fraction absorbed changes with meal and body context.
Fortified products vary by label. Milk alternatives, cereals and other products can be fortified with calcium, but the amount and serving basis vary. A food name alone cannot supply the calcium amount.

A closer look

Supplement safety

High supplemental calcium can interact with medicines and may change kidney-stone risk in some contexts. Medical conditions and medicines require professional review.

Vitamin D helps regulate intestinal calcium transport

Active vitamin D increases expression of proteins involved in intestinal calcium transport. The effect still depends on physiology, meal context and total intake; it is not a reason to infer absorption from a calcium label alone.

References

Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.