Almonds are great dietary sources of calcium. Actually, they’re the richest nuts in calcium, containing 269 mg of calcium per 100g. Almond milk is particularly rich in calcium as well. A glass provides approximately 36% of the recommended daily intake.
Health benefits of calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body! It’s necessary for strong bones and teeth. Calcium deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis.
In addition, calcium is involved in muscle movement and flexibility, blood vessel contraction and dilation, blood clotting, nerve transmission, and hormonal secretion.
Getting enough calcium may lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, atherosclerosis, and certain cancers.[1,2]
How much calcium do we need?
The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,000 mg for adults.
Only women older than 50 years should get at least 1,200 mg of calcium a day, due to increased risk of osteoporosis. Calcium absorption declines with age.
Moreover, children older than 13 years and teenagers require at least 1,300 mg of calcium a day, due to rapid bone growth.
How much calcium is in almonds?
Almond is a great dietary source of calcium. Almonds contain 269 mg of calcium per 100g. A handful provides 76 mg of calcium, or about 8% of the Daily Value (DV). They can help us meet our daily needs of calcium.[3]
Raw and roasted almonds have a similar calcium content.
Are other almond-based foods good sources of calcium?
Almond butter is also rich in calcium. It contains 347 mg of calcium per 100g. A tbsp provides 55 mg of calcium, or 5% of the DV.
Almond paste has less calcium, though. It has only 172 mg of calcium per 100g.
Tahini is the richest vegan spread in calcium, though.
Furthermore, almond flour has 232 mg of calcium per 100g. Common flours are poor dietary sources of calcium. For instance, whole wheat flour has only 38 mg of calcium per 100g.
Almond flour has a much higher protein content than common flours as well.
Is almond milk high in calcium?
Almond milk is particularly rich in calcium as it’s fortified with calcium carbonate. It contains 173 mg of calcium per 100 mL. An 8 fl oz glass of almond milk provides approximately 432 mg of calcium, or 36% of the DV.
For comparison, cow’s milk contains 123 mg of calcium per 100 mL, or 306 mg of calcium per serving. A glass of cow’s milk provides about 30% of the DV.
You better consume cow’s milk and dairy in moderation, though. They’re pretty high in saturated fats. A glass of whole cow’s milk contains approximately 4.6 g of saturated fats, or 35% of the maximum safe amount. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 13 g of saturated fats a day.[4]
All plant-based milks, except of coconut milks, have negligible amounts of saturated fats. Almond milk has only healthy fats.
Moreover, almond milk has fewer calories than cow’s milk. An 8 oz glass of almond milk has no more than 40 calories, while a glass of 2% milk has 125 calories! Whole milk has even more calories.
Most noteworthy, almond milk is particularly rich in vitamin E. In fact, almonds are the richest food in vitamin E, second only to sunflower seeds!
You can find a wide variety of almond and other plant-based milks on Amazon.
Do almonds have more calcium than other nuts?
Actually, almonds are the richest nuts in calcium. Other common nuts have much lower amounts of calcium.
| calcium (mg) per 100g | calcium (mg) per 1 oz | |
| almonds | 269 | 76 |
| Brazil nuts | 160 | 45 |
| hazelnuts | 123 | 35 |
| pistachios | 105 | 30 |
| walnuts | 98 | 28 |
| peanuts | 89 | 25 |
| pecans | 70 | 20 |
| macadamia nuts | 70 | 20 |
| chestnuts | 67 | 19 |
| cashews | 45 | 13 |
| pine nuts | 16 | 5 |
Is calcium in almond bioavailable?
The most bioavailable sources of calcium are cow’s milk, dairy products, and fortified foods. We absorb about 30% of calcium of these sources.
Certain compounds in almonds (i.e. phytic acid) inhibit calcium absorption. We absorb about 20% of the calcium in almonds.[5]
However, we absorb 30% of calcium of almond milk. It’s fortified with calcium.
The foods with the worst absorption rate (only 5%) are spinach, collard greens, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, and beans. They have high levels of oxalic acid, which form indigestible salts with calcium, decreasing its absorption.
Foods which don’t contain oxalic acid, such as broccoli, kale, and cabbage, have a similar calcium absorption rate to cow’s milk.
Too much caffeine can reduce calcium absorption as well.
In contrast, vitamin D enhances the absorption of calcium. But, there aren’t many common foods high in vitamin D. Many people would benefit from taking vitamin D supplements.
Certainly, healthy people who follow a well-balanced diet probably get more than enough calcium from food.
How many almonds should I eat a day to get calcium?
As a rule of thumb, most people could eat 1–2 handfuls of almonds a day. More almonds could make you gain weight. Almonds are particularly high in calories.
But, consuming reasonable amounts of almonds is good for weight loss and preserving muscle mass while dieting! Almonds promote satiety, as they’re rich in fiber and protein.
Moreover, almonds are keto-friendly. They’re low in net carbs. Even people with diabetes can regularly consume almonds.
Common foods high in calcium
Cow’s milk and dairy are the best dietary sources of calcium. They’re the main dietary sources of calcium for people who follow the standard Western diet.
Fish and eggs are other animal-derived foods with decent amounts of calcium.
We can get high amounts of calcium from plant-based sources as well. Beans, seeds, and certain vegetables, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli can help us meet our daily needs of calcium.
Moreover, you can boost your daily calcium intake with moringa powder. Moringa powder is among the richest foods in calcium. It contains about 2,700 mg of calcium per 100g, or 70 mg per a 2-tsp serving! It’s a true superfood! You’ll find a wide variety of moringa supplements and powders on iHerb.
Consuming high amounts of calcium from food is safe. But, we shouldn’t get too much from supplements. Extremely high amounts of calcium may lead to adverse effects. For instance, high calcium intake from supplements can inhibit iron absorption up to 55%.
Is almond milk the richest plant-based milk in calcium?
Most plant-based milks are fortified with calcium. Actually, they’re great dietary sources of highly bioavailable calcium. Almond milk is among the richest milks in calcium. It can help us meet our daily needs.
