Calcium Rich Foods India: Beyond Milk for Strong Bones
Expert-reviewed guide for Indian diets
India has an interesting calcium paradox. We consume less dairy than Western populations — the average Indian gets roughly 300–400mg of calcium daily versus the recommended 1,000mg — and yet our fracture rates have historically been lower than countries like the US and Scandinavia. This seems contradictory until you factor in body size (smaller bones require less absolute calcium), physical activity (Indians traditionally walked more and had more weight-bearing activity), and lower rates of certain medications and lifestyle factors that drain calcium in the West. However, this paradox is eroding: osteoporosis is rising rapidly in urban India, particularly among women in their 50s, as diets shift toward calcium-poor processed foods, sun exposure decreases, and physical activity declines.
The bigger calcium story in India is actually about two nutrients that work together: calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption in the gut — without adequate vitamin D, you absorb only 10–15% of the calcium you eat. With sufficient vitamin D, absorption rises to 30–40%. India has paradoxically high rates of vitamin D deficiency (estimated 40–80% in urban populations) despite being a tropical country, which means that even when Indians eat calcium-rich foods, they may be absorbing only a fraction of it. This is why the calcium-vitamin D combination is always discussed together.
The second myth to address is the hierarchy of calcium foods. Milk is excellent, yes — one glass gives 300mg of calcium with good bioavailability (about 32% absorption). But ragi (finger millet) contains 344mg of calcium per 100g and has comparable bioavailability. Til (sesame seeds) contains an astonishing 975mg of calcium per 100g. Drumstick leaves (moringa) provide 440mg per 100g. These are Indian foods that are either traditional staples in some regions or tragically underutilised nationally. Building calcium intake around these foods — not just around the glass of doodh — opens up far more flexibility for people who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or simply don't like milk.
Finally, a word about calcium absorption inhibitors that are particularly relevant in Indian diets: very high oxalate foods (palak, raw sweet potato in large amounts), very high phytate foods (unfermented whole grains in excessive quantity), excess sodium (each extra gram of sodium causes roughly 26mg additional calcium excretion in urine), and caffeine all reduce calcium retention. The Indian habit of high tea and coffee consumption, combined with high salt in snacks and meals, creates a background drain on calcium that most people never account for.
Foods to Eat
Ragi (Finger Millet) — 344mg Calcium per 100g
Ragi is the calcium champion of Indian grains — it contains more calcium than milk by weight, and its bioavailability is reasonable (absorption rate comparable to milk). A bowl of ragi porridge (about 100g flour cooked) delivers 344mg calcium — roughly a third of the daily requirement in one meal. In Karnataka, ragi mudde and ragi roti are staples. For those not raised on ragi, ragi porridge sweetened with jaggery and cardamom (a traditional Karnataka breakfast) or ragi roti with any sabzi are excellent starting points. Ragi ladoo (made with ghee, jaggery, and ragi flour) provides calcium in a form that even children eat willingly.
Til (Sesame Seeds) — 975mg Calcium per 100g
Sesame seeds have the highest calcium content of any commonly eaten Indian food — and this isn't a trace amount, it's extraordinary. One tablespoon of til (about 9g) provides roughly 88mg of calcium. The calcium in sesame is in the form of calcium oxalate in the hull, which reduces some absorption — hulled white sesame has lower calcium but better absorption than unhulled. For maximum benefit, use whole (unhulled) black sesame, which has excellent mineral content. Til chikki, til laddoo, gajak, til ki chutney, and til sprinkled into raita are all traditional ways to consume it. Make til an everyday condiment rather than a special occasion food.
Drumstick Leaves (Moringa) — 440mg Calcium per 100g
Fresh drumstick leaves contain 440mg of calcium per 100g — significantly more than milk. They also provide iron, vitamin C, and beta-carotene simultaneously. Moringa is used extensively in South Indian sambar, in stir-fried preparations in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and as a cooked green in Maharashtra. Moringa powder (dried, ground drumstick leaves) is available and concentrates all these nutrients. One tablespoon of moringa powder mixed into curd, dal, or a smoothie provides a meaningful calcium contribution. If you have access to fresh drumstick leaves, use them in sambar or sautéed with garlic and mustard seeds as a weekly preparation.
Milk (Doodh) — 300mg Calcium per 250ml Glass
Whole milk remains an excellent, well-absorbed calcium source with a 32% absorption rate. Two glasses daily provides 600mg — 60% of the daily requirement. For lactose-tolerant adults, this is one of the most convenient calcium sources. A2 milk from indigenous Indian cow breeds (Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi) is marketed as superior, and while the evidence is preliminary, it's unlikely to be worse than A1 milk and may suit some people with milk sensitivity better. For children, adolescents, pregnant women, and post-menopausal women — the groups with highest calcium needs — two to three glasses of milk daily is a reasonable target where tolerated.
Dahi (Curd / Yoghurt) — 180mg per Katori
Dahi provides excellent calcium with the additional benefit of live probiotic cultures that support gut health and, interestingly, may improve calcium absorption. One katori (150g) gives about 180mg calcium. Hung curd (strained dahi) concentrates the calcium further. Dahi is also easier to digest than milk for people with mild lactose intolerance, as the fermentation process partially breaks down lactose. Lassi, chaas (buttermilk), and raita all contribute calcium. Make dahi a daily presence at lunch as a standard accompaniment — it's one of the most beneficial habits in traditional Indian eating.
Paneer — 208mg Calcium per 100g
Paneer is an excellent concentrated calcium source — 100g provides 208mg, more than half a glass of milk. Being a concentrated dairy product, its absorption rate is similar to milk. Paneer also provides protein and fat alongside the calcium. For vegetarians who may be calcium-deficient, making paneer a regular part of two to three meals per week (rather than an occasional restaurant indulgence) provides meaningful calcium contributions. Grilled paneer, paneer bhurji, and fresh raw paneer cubed into curd are all practical preparations.
Tofu Set with Calcium Sulphate — 350mg per 100g
Tofu's calcium content varies dramatically depending on the coagulant used in production. Tofu made with calcium sulphate (the most common commercial type) contains an impressive 350mg of calcium per 100g — more than milk — and with reasonable bioavailability. Tofu set with magnesium chloride (nigari) has much less calcium. Check the ingredients label of your tofu for the coagulant type. Calcium-set tofu is an excellent option for vegans and those with dairy intolerance and deserves much wider use in Indian cooking.
Small Whole Fish (Dried Fish, Anchovies) — 300–500mg per Serving
For non-vegetarians, small fish eaten with their bones are extraordinary calcium sources. Dried anchovies (sold across coastal India), small sardines or dried shrimp, and coastal fish eaten in preparations where the soft bones are consumed (common in fish curries that cook bones until soft) provide 300–500mg of calcium per serving — from highly bioavailable sources. In coastal Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra, this is already part of traditional diets. If you eat non-veg, incorporating small whole fish two to three times per week provides calcium that rivals any dairy product.
Foods to Avoid
Excess Caffeine — Tea and Coffee
Each cup of coffee or tea causes a small loss of calcium through urine — approximately 5–6mg per cup. With moderate consumption (two cups daily) this is trivial. But five to six cups of chai per day — a common pattern in north and west India — accumulates to 25–36mg of extra calcium excretion daily. Over a year, this is a real drain. More significantly, caffeine reduces the renal reabsorption of calcium, meaning you retain less of the calcium from food you've eaten. Keeping tea and coffee to two to three cups daily and ensuring adequate calcium intake from food compensates for this loss adequately.
Smoking
Smoking is one of the strongest dietary-independent risk factors for osteoporosis. Nicotine directly impairs osteoblast function (the cells that build bone), reduces intestinal calcium absorption, and accelerates bone resorption. Women who smoke reach menopause earlier — compressing the time frame in which they can maintain bone density before the oestrogen drop. There is no dietary supplement or food combination that fully compensates for the bone-depleting effects of regular smoking. If bone health is a concern — and it should be for all Indian women over 40 — stopping smoking is the highest-priority intervention.
Very High Sodium Intake
High sodium consumption (from pickles, papad, namkeen, packaged snacks, salt added liberally to food) causes increased calcium excretion through the kidneys. Each extra gram of sodium causes the body to excrete approximately 26mg more calcium in urine. The average Indian consumes 8–11g of sodium daily — significantly above the WHO recommended 5g. Reducing high-salt foods — processed snacks, excessive pickle, salted namkeen — reduces calcium losses. This doesn't mean eliminating salt, but the cumulative sodium from snacking habits is often larger than people realise.
Vitamin D Deficiency (Not a Food — a Condition to Correct)
Without adequate vitamin D, you absorb only 10–15% of dietary calcium. With normal vitamin D levels, absorption rises to 30–40%. If your vitamin D is severely deficient (below 20 ng/mL — common in urban Indians), you can eat all the ragi and paneer in the world and still have poor calcium absorption. Get your vitamin D tested; if deficient, supplement under medical supervision. This is the single most important intervention for calcium status that isn't a food — it multiplies the effectiveness of everything else on this list.
Practical Tips for the Indian Kitchen
Make Ragi a Weekly Staple — Not Occasional
Ragi is the most underutilised calcium powerhouse in India. Buy a kilogram of ragi flour and commit to one ragi-based meal per week minimum — ragi porridge, ragi roti, ragi dosa, or ragi ladoo. If you have children, ragi given as a porridge from 6 months of age (a traditional South Indian practice) sets up excellent bone development. Adults who make ragi a regular part of their diet rather than an occasional experiment make meaningful gains in calcium intake without any change in their dairy consumption.
Keep Calcium Sources and Iron Sources Separate
Calcium and iron compete for the same intestinal transporter. Eating your iron-rich foods (dal, green vegetables, ragi) separately from your calcium-rich foods (milk, curd, paneer) optimises absorption of both. In practice: have curd at lunch with your dal-sabzi-roti, but keep a one-hour gap — have the curd after the dal rather than simultaneously. This isn't about eliminating their overlap completely; it's about not drinking a large glass of milk immediately with an iron-rich meal.
Get Sunshine — 20 Minutes at Midday
The most effective way to improve calcium absorption is to optimise vitamin D. Fifteen to twenty minutes of midday sun exposure (10 AM to 2 PM) with arms and legs uncovered produces 10,000–20,000 IU of vitamin D — far more than any supplement. This is free, freely available in India, and yet urban Indians increasingly avoid sun due to heat, skin-lightening concerns, indoor office work, and pollution. Prioritise a brief midday sun break — not for a tan, but for the vitamin D that makes your dietary calcium actually work.
Use Til as a Daily Condiment
Buy a small bag of sesame seeds and keep them on your kitchen counter. Add a tablespoon to your curd, sprinkle on roti, mix into chutneys, blend into smoothies, add to any salad. It takes zero cooking and no planning. A tablespoon of til provides 88mg of calcium — 8–9% of your daily requirement added in five seconds. Doing this daily is the effortless calcium habit that requires no meal planning changes whatsoever.
Post-Menopausal Women: This Is a Priority, Not Optional
After menopause, oestrogen levels drop dramatically, and oestrogen was a key regulator of bone resorption — it kept osteoclasts (bone-dissolving cells) in check. Without oestrogen, bone loss accelerates significantly for five to ten years post-menopause. Post-menopausal Indian women need 1,200mg of calcium daily (vs 1,000mg for younger adults) and adequate vitamin D. This usually requires supplementation in addition to dietary sources. Please discuss calcium and vitamin D supplementation with your doctor at or shortly after menopause — prevention of osteoporosis is far easier than treating the fractures that result from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is ragi really better than milk for calcium?
A: By raw calcium content, yes — ragi has 344mg per 100g versus milk's 120mg per 100ml. In practice, you consume more volume of milk (a 250ml glass gives 300mg), so a glass of milk and a serving of ragi are comparable in absolute calcium delivered. Bioavailability is similar for both. The advantage of ragi is that it simultaneously provides iron, fibre, and complex carbohydrates — making it a more nutritionally dense choice per calorie than milk. They're not competitors; combining both in your diet gives excellent calcium coverage.
Q: Can I get enough calcium without any dairy if I'm lactose intolerant?
A: Yes, with deliberate dietary choices. Ragi as a daily grain (replacing some wheat or rice), til as a daily condiment, drumstick leaves used in cooking weekly, tofu (calcium-set) two to three times per week, and rajgira (amaranth) as a snack or cereal — this combination can provide 800–1,000mg of calcium daily without any dairy. Add 20 minutes of midday sun for vitamin D, and calcium absorption from non-dairy sources improves substantially. It requires more planning than simply drinking milk, but it is entirely achievable.
Q: Should I take calcium supplements?
A: Most people can meet calcium needs through diet without supplements, and food sources are preferred as they come with cofactors (vitamin K2, magnesium) that help direct calcium to bones rather than arteries. However, post-menopausal women, people with severe lactose intolerance who avoid all dairy, pregnant women, and those with diagnosed osteoporosis often need supplementation. If you supplement, calcium carbonate (cheapest, requires stomach acid — take with food) and calcium citrate (better absorbed without food, pricier) are both effective. Don't take more than 500mg at a time as absorption is limited per dose.
Q: Does boiling or cooking destroy calcium in ragi or greens?
A: Calcium itself is heat-stable and is not destroyed by cooking. However, cooking can increase the release of oxalates and phytates from foods, which can then bind some calcium and reduce its absorption. Blanching spinach or drumstick leaves and discarding the cooking water removes oxalates and actually improves calcium bioavailability from those foods. Fermentation — as in the traditional preparation of ragi ambali or dosa batter — reduces phytates and improves mineral absorption significantly. So appropriate cooking actually helps calcium bioavailability rather than harming it.
Q: How do I know if I'm calcium deficient?
A: Blood calcium is a poor indicator of calcium status because the body strictly regulates blood calcium by pulling from bones when dietary intake is low — so blood calcium stays "normal" even as your bones are being depleted. Bone density testing (DEXA scan) is the accurate measure of long-term calcium adequacy. Ask your doctor about a DEXA scan if you are a woman over 50, have a strong family history of osteoporosis, have been on long-term steroids, or have had unexplained fractures. Symptoms like muscle cramps, tingling in the extremities, and dental problems can indicate calcium issues but are non-specific.
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