Top 10 Calcium-Rich Foods

Weight Gain Shockers Slideshow

Your bones and your waistline will reap the benefits.

By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature

Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD

Calcium helps you lose weight, studies show. "Really exciting research shows that if you get three servings of dairy daily, you're not only preventing osteoporosis, but you're enhancing weight loss," says WebMD Weight Loss Clinic dietitian Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD.

However, that research has only involved dairy projects, she adds. "It seems there is a synergistic relationship between protein and calcium. Eating other calcium-rich foods, like collards, won't do that."

Nonetheless, calcium in any form is good for your body. Some of the top calcium-rich foods are:

1. 1. Cheese
2. 2. Yogurt
3. 3. Milk
4. 4. Sardines
5. 5. Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, turnips, and collard greens
6. 6. Fortified cereals such as Total, Raisin Bran, Corn Flakes (They have a lot of calcium in one serving.)
7. 7. Fortified orange juice
8. 8. Soybeans
9. 9. Fortified soymilk (Not all soymilk is a good source of calcium, so it's best to check the label.)
10. 10. Enriched breads, grains, and waffles

Published Oct. 13, 2003.
Medically updated May 3, 2004.

SOURCE: Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, director of nutrition, WebMD Weight Loss Clinic.

©1996-2005 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.