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Top 10 Fruits Highest in Calcium

Written by Daisy Whitbread, MScN
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Top 10 Fruits Highest in Calcium

Calcium is necessary for the growth and maintenance of strong teeth and bones, nerve signaling, muscle contraction, and secretion of certain hormones and enzymes.

A deficiency in calcium can lead to numbness in fingers and toes, muscle cramps, convulsions, lethargy, loss of appetite, and abnormal heart rhythm.

Finding calcium in fruits and vegetables is a concern for vegans, or those on a raw food diet.

Fruits high in calcium include calcium-fortified orange juice, prickly pears, tangerines, oranges, kiwifruit, mulberries, blackberries, guavas, papaya, and passion fruit. The daily value (%DV) for calcium is 1300mg.

Below is a list of calcium rich fresh fruits, dried fruits were not added to this list due to high sugar content. Click here to see the section of dried fruits high in calcium. Also check the list of foods high in calcium, and vegetables high in calcium.

You can also view the list of over 100 fruits high in calcium, and sort by 200 calorie, or 100 gram, serving sizes using the nutrient ranking tool.

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List of Fruits High in Calcium

1 Fortified Orange Juice
A glass of orange juice
2 Prickly Pears
Prickly Pears
3 Tangerines
Tangerines
4 Oranges
Slices of orange
5 Kiwifruit
Slices of kiwifruit
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6 Mulberries
Mullberries
7 Blackberries
Blackberries on the stem
8 Guavas
Half a guava
9 Papaya
Papayas
10 Passion-Fruit (Granadilla)
Passion Fruit

See All 151 Fruits High in Calcium

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Dried Fruits High in Calcium

#1 Dried Figs 19% DV (241mg) in per cup
#2 Zante Currants 10% DV (124mg) in per cup
#3 Golden Seedless Raisins 6% DV (77mg) in per cup
#4 Dried Apricots 6% DV (72mg) in per cup
#5 Goji Berries 4% DV (53mg) in 5 tbsp

Factors which Affect Calcium Absorption

  • Amount of Calcium Consumed - The more calcium you consume, the less you absorb. Though consuming more calcium will increase your total level.(2)
  • Age - Children absorb about 60% of the calcium from foods, while adults absorb only 20%. Calcium absorption decreases with age and people over 50 should eat more calcium.(2)
  • Pregnancy - Pregnant women absorb more calcium.(2)
  • Vitamin D Intake - Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption. It can be found in foods or created by exposing skin to sunshine.(2)
  • Phytic and Oxalic Acid - Even though some studies suggest phytic and oxalic acid affect calcium absorption, people eating a balanced diet will not be affected, further, the percent daily value already accounts for this absorption factor. High amounts of oxalic acid is found in plant foods like spinach, collard greens, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, and beans. Phytic acid is found in whole bread, and wheat bran.(2)
  • Sodium, Protein, Alcohol, Caffeine (Coffee and Tea) - A diet high in sodium, protein, alcohol, and caffeine (coffee and tea) can harm absorption and retention of calcium by causing more calcium to be excreted. Alcohol also interferes with the metabolism of vitamin D.(2)

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View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28.
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