Calcium is a crucial mineral for healthy bones. And when we think of calcium, we think of milk. But you will be surprised that there are 5 foods that have more calcium than milk.
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Why is calcium considered so important?
Why is calcium considered so important? What are the causes of calcium deficiency? How do we know that we are deficient in calcium? How to take calcium so that it doesn’t create kidney stones. In this article, I am going to share with you 5 calcium-rich vegetarian foods that have more calcium than milk. Will keep this video very simple and practical. So without any further delay, let’s get started.
Hello Friends! Welcome to Dastaan E Hind. There is no doubt that calcium is an extremely important mineral for your bones, teeth, heart, muscles, and nerves. Whenever calcium will be deficient in the body, these organs will be affected. In fact, 99% of the body’s calcium is deposited in the bones and teeth.
But when our body remains deficient in calcium for a long period, having no other choice, it begins to extract calcium out from the bones and teeth. This can show up in the form of lower back pain, pain in the neck, cracking sound in the joints, weak bones that can lead to easy fractures, teeth cavities, and tooth decay. These are some of the most common indications that your body needs calcium.
But there are other symptoms as well like feeling tired after exerting a little, having white spots on nails and on the face, not being able to maintain focus for long, and having trouble sleeping at night. If ignored, the body will continue to extract calcium from bones.
Obviously, it can’t stop the more important functions of the body that are dependent on calcium. But as a result, bones begin to get thinner and thinner and in many cases, problems like arthritis develop. Modern studies suggest that people who remain deficient in calcium for a long time are at a higher risk of getting skin problems like psoriasis and eczema. A study showed that women who increased their intake of calcium, within 3 months their premenstrual symptoms significantly improved.
Why does our body get deficient in calcium?
But a question arises. Why does our body get deficient in calcium? When we are eating well then why does a major chunk of the Indian population faces this problem? Some reasons are very clear. First is that our diet doesn’t have enough calcium in it.
Second is that we are eating calcium-rich foods but our body is not able to absorb them properly. This happens when your digestion is weak or you are eating some medicines that are hindering the absorption of calcium from these foods.
According to Ayurveda, excessive masturbation creates a serious deficiency of calcium which if not sorted can cause irreparable damage to the bones. Then modern science believes that when we drink too much tea, coffee, or eat a lot of sugary foods, even after eating calcium-rich foods, the body fails to absorb it.
When we think of calcium, we think of milk. But nowadays the quality of milk has degraded. If after drinking milk you experience gas, bloating, or diarrhoea, be sure that you are not getting calcium from such milk.
So let me share with you 5 vegetarian foods that have more calcium than milk.
At #5 is Choona
The word calcium comes from a Latin word calx which means limestone or choona. Ayurveda is firm that choona is one of the best foods to get rid of calcium deficiency. But how you consume it is even more important. Firstly, choona should be of edible grade.
Not the commercial one that is used for whitewashing. The same choona is purified which then becomes edible. This you can get from any paan shop or grocery shop. It is available online as well. I have added some options in the description box of this video. Just one pinch of this choona is good enough.
In Ayurvedic scriptures, it is written that if one eats just a wheat grain-sized amount of choona mixed in curd before breakfast, within 15-20 days calcium deficiency symptoms begin to subside. It’s so powerful. Adding it to curd has a double benefit as curd is oily in nature which helps in the faster absorption of calcium in the body. Second, curd itself is a good source of calcium. But in case you don’t want to have curd, you can mix a pinch of choona in dal or sabzi as well.
The same choona if you mix in water won’t be that effective. That’s because calcium requires fats to get absorbed quickly. This is one of the major reasons why popping calcium pills with water hardly gives any positive results. Rather it can cause the deposition of calcium that might create stones.
At #4 Sesame seeds
100 ml of milk has 125 mg of calcium. While 100 g of sesame seeds have 975 mg of calcium. Which is almost 8 times the calcium in milk. Not just this, sesame seeds are also very rich in magnesium, manganese, and zinc which not only help in the easy absorption of calcium but also strengthen the bones.
In a study when one group of people suffering from knee pain was given 40 grams of sesame seeds along with their ongoing medication, they experienced 63% relief in their knee pain as compared to 22% relief for the group on medication alone.
Studies found that it was not just the calcium in sesame seeds but a special compound called sesamin that effectively protects cartilage. So people who feel that their greasing in joints have reduced, they should definitely include sesame seeds in their diet.
In winters sesame seeds with jaggery are no less than a supplement for calcium. That’s because even jaggery is fairly rich in calcium. Til gud laddoos and til gud chikki are some of the time-tested ways to make bones stronger. But in summer sesame seeds laddoos should be consumed in moderation. One can dry roast them and then add a spoonful to atta, dalia, oatmeal, salads, and curries.
Sesame seed cold-pressed oil can be used for cooking. According to Ayurveda, if one massages with sesame oil and then sits under sunlight, he will also get Vitamin D. Vitamin D is vital for the absorption of calcium. Mushrooms and A2 dairy products are some good sources of vitamin D.
At #3 is Kulthi Dal
Among all dals, kulthi ki dal is #1 in calcium. No wonder it is called horse gram. 100 g of kulthi dal has around 300 mg of calcium. Generally, people fear that if they eat a lot of calcium, they will get stones. But guess what! Kulthi dal, which is so high in calcium, is a natural remedy to get rid of kidney and gallbladder stones.
Kulthi ki dal may be new for some of you but the process of making it is as simple as making any other dal. It’s just that this dal takes a little longer to cook. But once made, its aroma and flavor are worth all the effort. Do try it. Other pulses are also fairly good in calcium.
For example, 100 grams of rajma have around 270 mg of calcium. Black chana has 220 mg of calcium. The same quantity of black urad dal has 140 mg. Green moong dal has 132 mg, Arhar dal has 130 mg, and Chana dal has around 120 mg of calcium. Basically, if you eat more of kulthi dal and keep rotating other dals along, you will never have to bother about calcium deficiency.
At #2 is Ragi
100 g of wheat has 34 mg of calcium. 100 g of rice has only 10 mg of calcium. Whereas the same 100 g of ragi has a whopping 330 mg of calcium. Which is almost 10 times that of wheat and 33 times more than rice. Still, most of us eat either wheat or rice. No wonder calcium deficiency is so common.
Let alone wheat and rice, Ragi or Finger millet comes at the top among all other millets when it comes to calcium and bone health. Ragi is also rich in potassium which is why it keeps blood pressure normal. Ragi is rich in iron as well which is why it is a medicinal grain to increase haemoglobin levels. But the question is how to include ragi in the diet? Just like you eat wheat roti, start eating ragi roti.
See how soft this ragi roti is. And this is made using 100% ragi. No mixing. The trick is to mix ragi atta in hot boiling water and then knead the dough like you usually do. The roti will turn out to be super soft. This is, in my opinion, the most practical way to include ragi in your daily diet.
In South India, ragi flour is added to dosa mix and idli mix to get a more nutritious version of them. Ragi chilla can also be made. Personally, I love Andhra’s ragi malt recipe. It hardly takes 2 minutes. In a bowl, put 3-4 spoons of ragi flour. Add a little water to make a thick paste like this. Then in a pan boil a glass of water. Add rock salt and ragi paste to it. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and then turn the flame off. Once it cools down, transfer it into a glass. Then add curd and lemon juice to it.
A potent calcium supplement is ready. Tastes really good. It’s our original smoothie recipe that can be consumed as breakfast.
Finally at #1 is Rajgira
Rajgira, which is also known as Amaranth or ramdana, is not really a grain which is why you might have eaten it on a fast. You will be amazed that 100 grams of rajgira has around 340 mg of calcium. But why just calcium, Rajgira is one of those rare vegetarian sources which has all the 9 essential amino acids present in it. But the irony is that today Indians talk more about Quinoa as a complete source of protein than rajgira. But when compared with quinoa, rajgira was found to be a clear winner in terms of its protein and iron content.
Price-wise, rajgira is 1/10th as compared to that of Quinoa. Since rajgira is gluten-free, it was traditionally mixed with boiled potatoes to make a chapati which was eaten on a fast. Rajgira halwa is a calcium-rich dessert idea that can be made like normal atte ka halwa. In my opinion, it’s not just the most practical way to include rajgira in your diet but is also extremely delicious.
Literally, you won’t be able to tell if this halwa is made with wheat atta or rajgira atta. Interestingly, lal saag which is also called chaulai are the leaves of these rajgira seeds. So whenever you see this lal saag in sabzi mandi, do eat it. Other leafy greens, especially palak, methi, arbi leaves, and cabbage also have fair amounts of calcium in them.
There is no doubt that milk is a primary source of calcium. But if you are not able to fetch desi cow’s milk or milk doesn’t suit you then you should try and include choona, sesame seeds, kulthi ki dal, ragi, and rajgira in your regular diet.
Doing this, you would never have to worry about calcium deficiency. In fact, if you are facing any of the symptoms at this moment, they will begin to subside in a few days. All these foods are easily available in your nearest grocery shop.
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