“51 Best Low Calcium Foods” was written by Will Soyster & reviewed/edited by Aly Bouzek, MS, RDN. Will is a dietetic intern at Oregon Health and Science University.
Low calcium foods may not sound necessary, but there are actually many people that need to follow a low calcium diet for health reasons. Many of us know that high calcium foods typically come in the form of dairy products, but what about low calcium foods?
In this article, edited and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian, we’ll learn all about calcium, which foods are low in calcium, and foods to avoid when following a low calcium foods diet. Let’s begin!
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Table of Contents:
- Why is Calcium Important?
- Why is Too Much Calcium a Problem?
- How Can I Lower My Calcium Levels Naturally?
- 51 Low Calcium Foods List
- Foods to Avoid While on a Low Calcium Diet
- Conclusion: Low Calcium Foods
Why is Calcium Important?
Most people vaguely remember from health class that calcium is important for our bones, but what does it actually do?
Calcium is a mineral that plays many important roles in regulating our body’s health, so achieving the recommended level of calcium is critical for long term health and wellness.
There are numerous roles and functions that calcium plays in maintaining your health. Far more than could fit into this blog post, so for efficiency’s sake, let’s focus on three of the most common, yet important functions of calcium:
- Bone health
- Heart health
- Muscle function
Calcium and Bone Health
When we think of bones, we might visualize images of skeletons at Halloween, or sun-bleached bones scattered across an arid desert. That is to say, we tend to visualize bones as static, dead, and unchanging; however, this is far from the truth.
Bones are an organ, just like our heart and muscles. Bones are alive, and keeping our bones healthy is one of the most important things that we can do.
Calcium is used in bone development through a process called ossification. To keep it simple, as bone gets old, or damaged, specialized cells break down the bones, while others add new bone material, which is hardened and structurally reinforced by calcium.
This gives bones more density, and helps to prevent bone loss, as well as preventing our bones from becoming brittle and weak, a condition known as osteoporosis.
Calcium and Heart Health
The heart is arguably the most important organ in the body, second only to the brain. However, without calcium, the heart can not perform its critical function of circulating blood throughout the body.
The heart acts similar to a performing orchestra. The heart plays its music by rhythmically contracting and pumping blood throughout our body. Though without a conductor guiding the performance, it can become out of sync with itself and not play the correct melody.
Conducting the heart’s melody is an electrical impulse, which coordinates the beat like a wave across the heart, and calcium is critical to starting the electrical signal.
Calcium is electrically charged, and as it enters the heart, it binds to specialized receptors signaling for conduction of the electric signal. This causes the heart to squeeze, forcing blood throughout the body.
As the calcium is released from its receptor, the heart relaxes, refilling with blood, and is ready to contract again as new calcium enters. Without enough calcium, your heart would literally stop beating.
Calcium and Muscle
Just as calcium helps stimulate contractions in the heart, it also allows for muscle contractions across our body. Calcium allows us to do everything from walking, talking, and even typing a blog post about calcium.
Calcium allows proteins within our muscles to communicate with each other, signaling when it’s time to contract, and when to relax. Without this communication, we would have no ability to move, speak, or even digest food.
This is just another one of the many ways we are alive thanks to calcium.
Recommended Amount of Calcium
The recommended daily intake of calcium is determined by gender and age. We’ve provided a helpful table below:
| Gender | Age | Calcium (mg) |
| Males & Females | 19 – 50 years | 1,000 |
| Males | 51 -70 years | 1,000 |
| Females | 51 – 70 years | 1,200 |
| Males & Females | 70 years and older | 1,200 |
Why is Too Much Calcium a Problem?
So far, we have discussed the incredible ways in which calcium keeps us alive and healthy. However, like all things in life, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing, and too much calcium leads to a condition called hypercalcemia.
What Causes Elevated Calcium levels
There are many factors which can elevate calcium levels. Though not an exhaustive list, here are some of the most common causes.
Overactive Parathyroid Glands
The most common cause of elevated calcium levels, to the general public, is overactive parathyroid glands. This is known as hyperparathyroidism.
The parathyroid glands are a group of four glands, which surround the thyroid gland near the base of your neck.
The main purpose of the parathyroid glands is to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. It does this by releasing a hormone called the parathyroid hormone (PTH).
As calcium levels drop, the parathyroid glands release PTH which signals the body that more calcium is needed. This stimulates a response from the largest reserve of calcium in the body, the bones, causing a large increase in calcium levels.
According to research, on average, males between the ages of 50 to 59, have an 80 in 100,000 and women in this same age range have a 36 in 100,000 chance of developing hyperparathyroidism. (1)
Between the ages of 70 to 79, the rate increases to 196 in 100,000 for women, and 95 in 100,000 for men. (1)
Medication
Medications can also be a cause for increased calcium levels.
Because of how critical calcium is to our survival, you can often find calcium in medications you would not expect. For example, melatonin, an over-the-counter sleep aid, comes in a form with calcium added, and can easily be mistaken for melatonin without calcium.
Vitamin A and vitamin D also directly influence bone resorption of calcium, and its bioavailability. This means that vitamin supplements and multivitamins can prevent our bones from removing calcium from the blood and using it in bone formation. (2)
Cancer
Within a hospital, the most common cause of hypercalcemia is cancer.
Many types of cancer can be associated with hypercalcemia. Typically, breast, lung, melanoma, and renal cancers have higher association with the development of elevated calcium levels.
Additionally, a cancer side effect of high calcium levels affects about 30% of those with cancer.
Who is at Risk for Hypercalcemia?
Hypercalcemia can affect every age group and gender (about 1-2% of the population), though it’s most commonly seen in older adults.
Associated Risks
While there are many potential risks associated with elevated calcium levels, some of the most serious and common risks include:
- Kidney damage
- Bone loss
- Heart complications
Kidney Damage
The kidneys help our body to get rid of excess material from the blood, via urination. As hypercalcemia increases, there is more calcium that needs to be removed, which causes the kidneys to work extra hard to filter it out.
Prolonged or chronic overuse of the kidneys can lead to acute renal failure, and dehydration due to excessive urination.
Check out our post on kidney disease for more information on kidney damage and maintaining a healthy renal system.
Bone Loss
Bones serve as a large storage of calcium reserves for the body. When hypercalcemia develops, the excessive calcium levels usually enter the bloodstream after being leaked from the bones.
As discussed earlier, calcium is critical in the growth and density of our bones, so as calcium is removed, the bones become softer, weaker, and brittle.
Brittle bones can be especially dangerous, as falls or other injuries can quickly become life threatening.
Heart Complications
Because the heart uses calcium to regulate its electrical signals during contraction, too much calcium can interfere with the normal electrical current.
Irregular heart beats, elevated heart beats per minute, and heart palpitations are all possible complications that can happen.
How Can I Lower My Calcium Levels Naturally?
Altering your diet to include more foods low in calcium, limiting foods higher in calcium, and staying well hydrated with water are all great ways to naturally lower your calcium levels.
As the kidneys work hard to flush your system of excess calcium, it is critically important to replenish fluids lost through urination. Not only will this help prevent dehydration, but it will also allow your kidneys to excrete more calcium every time you visit the bathroom.
It is also important to see your doctor to have your parathyroid gland checked, and to consistently take any medications prescribed for your conditions.
51 Low Calcium Foods List
While this is not an exhaustive list, here are some great options for low calcium foods (foods with less than 50 mg of calcium per serving):
Low Calcium Foods: Carbohydrates (Fruits & Veggies)
| Fruits & Veggies | Serving Size | Calcium (mg) |
| 1. Mushrooms | ½ cup | 2 |
| 2. Corn | 1 cup | 3 |
| 3. Eggplant | ½ cup | 3.6 |
| 4. Blueberries | ½ cup | 4.5 |
| 5. Watermelon | ½ cup | 5.4 |
| 6. Bamboo shoots | ½ cup | 6.2 |
| 7. Bananas | 1 medium | 6.3 |
| 8. Bell pepper, chopped | ½ cup | 7.5 |
| 9. Zucchini | ½ cup | 9 |
| 10. Cucumbers | ½ cup | 9.6 |
| 11. Apples | 1 medium | 10 |
| 12. Onions | ½ cup | 13.6 |
| 13. Pumpkin | ½ cup | 14.7 |
| 14. Cherry tomatoes | 10 tomatoes | 17 |
| 15. Spinach, raw | 1 cup | 17 |
| 16. Broccoli | ½ cup | 21 |
| 17. Blackberries | ½ cup | 22 |
| 18. Kiwi | 1 kiwi | 26 |
| 19. Kale | ½ cup | 32 |
| 20. Tangerine | 1 tangerine | 40 |
Low Calcium Foods: Grains
| Grains | Serving Size | Calcium (mg) |
| 21. White rice, cooked | ½ cup | 1.7 |
| 22. Millet, cooked | ½ cup | 2.5 |
| 23. Popcorn, popped | 1 cup | 2.5 |
| 24. Brown rice, cooked | ½ cup | 3 |
| 25. Cornmeal, cooked | ½ cup | 2.5 |
| 26. Buckwheat, cooked | ½ cup | 7 |
| 27. Bulgur, cooked | ½ cup | 7 |
| 28. Oatmeal, cooked | ½ cup | 11 |
| 29. Quinoa, cooked | ½ cup | 14.5 |
Low Calcium Foods: Proteins
| Proteins | Serving Size | Calcium (mg) |
| 30. Pork tenderloin | 3 oz | 3.6 |
| 31. Chicken breast | 3 oz | 3.7 |
| 32. Salmon, grilled | 3 oz | 6.6 |
| 33. Shrimp | 10-15 small shrimp | 7 |
| 34. Turkey breast (deli) | 2 slices | 8 |
| 35. Beef roast | 3 oz | 9 |
| 36. Turkey, boneless, cooked | 3 oz | 9.4 |
| 37. Ground beef (90% lean) | 3 oz | 11 |
| 38. Tuna, canned in water | 3 oz | 15.3 |
| 39. Lentils | ½ cup | 17 |
| 40. Egg | 1 large egg | 24 |
| 41. Black beans | ½ cup | 46 |
Low Calcium Foods: Nuts, Seeds, & Healthy Fats
| Nuts, Seeds, & Healthy Fats | Serving Size | Calcium (mg) |
| 42. Almond oil | 1 Tbsp | 0 |
| 43. Olive oil | 1 Tbsp | 0.1 |
| 44. Ghee | 1 Tbsp | 0.6 |
| 45. Butter | 1 Tbsp | 3 |
| 46. Peanut butter | 1 Tbsp | 8 |
| 47. Cashews | 1 oz | 12.5 |
| 48. Pumpkin seeds, without shell | 1 oz | 14.7 |
| 49. Pecans | 1 oz | 19 |
| 50. Sunflower seeds, without shell | 1 oz | 20 |
| 51. Flax seeds | 1 Tbsp | 27 |
Foods to Avoid While on a Low Calcium Diet
While it is important to understand which foods to eat more of on a low calcium diet, it is also important to understand which foods are high in calcium (foods that have 200 mg of calcium or more per serving) and should be avoided.
For information on high calcium foods, check out our High Calcium Food Chart.
Conclusion: Low Calcium Foods
Calcium is an incredibly vital mineral not only for maintaining our health, but to actually keep us alive. Without calcium, we could not survive.
When calcium levels become unbalanced, whether by overactive parathyroid glands, medications, cancer, or other medical conditions, it can put our overall health at risk.
If you are concerned about elevated calcium levels, a great first step is to make an appointment with a primary care doctor, and have lab work done to see if your calcium levels are elevated. Hypercalcemia will show as levels greater than 10.5 mg/dL or 2.63 mmol/L.
After confirming your calcium levels are too high, dehydration can become a serious problem due to excessive urination, so be sure to drink extra water every day. Your kidneys will need help to flush out any excess calcium.
Drinking water alone isn’t enough to help lower calcium levels.
Changing your diet to include more foods that are low in calcium is a critical step to slow the rate of new calcium absorbed through digestion. Be mindful of your diet and focus on filling up on foods that are low in calcium.
Thank you so much for all the information on how to lower my calcium this will help me live a better life and feel good. Eating all this foods with low calcium will help me with my health and feel better.