does beef have calcium

Does Beef Have Calcium? Getting Your Calcium Fill from Beef

Calcium is an essential mineral that plays many important roles in the body. It helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth regulates muscle contractions, ensures normal heart rhythms and supports nerve function. Since our bodies cannot produce calcium, we must obtain it from dietary sources. But does beef provide any calcium? Let’s find out.

Calcium Content in Beef

Beef contains small amounts of calcium, though not nearly as much as dairy products. Here is how the calcium content of beef compares to some other foods:

• 1 cup of milk: 276-352 mg calcium
• 1 cup yogurt: 245-415 mg calcium
• 1 ounce cheddar cheese: 204 mg calcium
• 3 ounces salmon: 181 mg calcium
• 3 ounces sardines: 325 mg calcium
• 1 cup cooked spinach: 245 mg calcium
• 1 cup beans: 100-175 mg calcium
• 3 ounces beef: 7-21 mg calcium

You can see that beef doesn’t have no calcium at all, but compared to other calcium-rich foods, it doesn’t have much per serving. A 3-ounce serving of beef has only 7–21 mg of calcium, but dairy products have hundreds of milligrams.

Leafy greens, beans, and tofu are all plant-based foods that have a lot more calcium than beef. So beef is not considered a meaningful source of calcium.

Why Beef is Low in Calcium

There are a few reasons beef provides little calcium:

• Cattle obtain calcium from grazing on grasses and plants. But they do not store much calcium in their muscle tissue. Instead, over 99% of the calcium cattle ingest ends up in their bones, milk, and blood. Very little gets deposited in the muscles that become beef.

• Also, the plants that cattle eat tend to have less calcium than vegetables that people eat, like kale, broccoli, and bok choy.

• Processing and trimming beef removes any residual calcium present in connective tissues and bones. What remains in the trimmed skeletal muscle cuts is minimal.

• Cooking beef may cause some calcium to leach out into the cooking liquid. Long, moist cooking methods could potentially lower the calcium content slightly.

While beef contains some calcium, the amount is negligible for nutritional purposes. Even large servings of beef would not make a meaningful dent in your daily calcium needs.

Recommended Daily Calcium Intake

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for calcium is:

• 1,000 mg per day for adult men and women up to age 50
• 1,200 mg per day for women over 50 and men over 70 to reduce osteoporosis risk

Children and teenagers need between 1,300 and 1,500 mg of calcium daily to build bone mass and density. Pregnant and breastfeeding women require even higher amounts of calcium.

To reach these recommended intakes, you’d have to eat huge portions of beef. Consuming the 1,000+ mg of calcium required from beef alone would likely exceed your daily calories, protein, and saturated fat allotments.

Clearly, beef is a poor choice if you’re looking to maximize calcium intake. You’re better off eating sardines, yogurt, fortified plant milks, greens, and other foods with abundant bioavailable calcium.

Benefits of Calcium for Bone Health

Getting adequate calcium is crucial for bone health and osteoporosis prevention. Here’s what calcium does in the body:

• Promotes bone growth and calcification of bone tissue

• Slows bone breakdown as we age, preventing bone loss over time

• Allows proper bone remodeling and renewal

• Maintains bone density and strength, reducing fracture risk

• Helps regulate muscle contractions and nerve transmission

Along with vitamin D, magnesium, and phosphorus, calcium forms the mineral matrix of bones and teeth. Without sufficient calcium, you may be at higher risk for fractures and impaired bone metabolism later in life.

Populations with very low calcium intakes, such as those eating plant-based diets, may especially need to boost calcium consumption from fortified foods and supplements. But for most people eating a balanced diet, it’s possible to meet calcium needs from food rather than relying heavily on beef.

Top Dietary Sources of Calcium

If you’re not consuming dairy products, here are some other excellent dietary calcium sources:

• Canned sardines or salmon with bones (325 mg per 3 oz)

• Fortified plant milks like soy, oat, almond (200-500 mg per cup)

• Cooked kale, collards, okra, and broccoli (90-150 mg per cup)

• Baked beans and other legumes (100-175 mg per cup)

• Tofu made with calcium sulfate (200-400 mg per cup)

• Oranges, figs, papaya and other fruits

• Chia seeds, almonds, and other nuts/seeds

• Calcium-fortified cereals, breads, and juices

Along with getting enough calcium, ensure you also get 600-800 IU of vitamin D daily from sun exposure, fortified foods, or supplements to enhance calcium absorption. Consuming calcium and vitamin D rich foods together in meals maximizes the bone benefits.

Health Risks of Low Calcium Intake

Insufficient calcium intake over many years can lead to:

• Osteopenia and osteoporosis with increased fracture risk
• Decreased bone density and reduced bone mineralization
• Impaired bone growth in children and adolescents
• Brittle nail syndrome
• Dental issues like gum disease and tooth decay
• Higher risk of colon cancer
• Problems with muscle cramping and contractions
• PMS symptoms in women

To keep your bones strong and healthy, aim to get adequate calcium across the lifespan. Consuming enough from early childhood through older adulthood is key for lifelong skeletal health.

Does Cooking Reduce Calcium Levels in Beef?

Some minerals like potassium and magnesium tend to leach out of foods during cooking. However, calcium is not as easily lost during most cooking methods.

In fact, research shows that the bioavailability of calcium in meats like beef is not significantly affected by heating. Grilling, braising, roasting, or stewing beef does not appear to lower the minimal calcium content substantially compared to raw beef.

The protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins in beef see more of a decline from extended cooking than calcium levels. As long as you aren’t boiling beef for hours in copious water, expect the nominal calcium content to remain stable.

Ways to Boost Your Calcium Absorption from Foods

Here are some tips to maximize your body’s calcium absorption:

• Consume calcium-rich foods with vitamin D sources like eggs, fortified dairy/plant milks, and fatty fish

• Avoid overcooking veggies; steaming lightly retains more nutrients

• Don’t drink coffee or carbonated beverages with meals as caffeine and phosphoric acid hinders absorption

• Include acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits, and vinegars that enhance calcium absorption

• Soak beans, grains, nuts and seeds to reduce phytic acid that can bind calcium

• Increase magnesium intake, as magnesium helps calcium enter bone tissue

• Get enough vitamin K from leafy greens, avocados, broccoli and fermented foods

As long as you are getting adequately bioavailable calcium from your overall diet, the negligible amounts found in beef aren’t crucial. Focus on incorporating more dairy, greens, beans, nuts and seafood for bone health.

Should You Rely on Beef for Calcium Needs?

Beef can be part of a healthy, balanced diet. It provides high-quality protein, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, iron and other nutrients. However, it should not be your primary calcium source. The small amounts of calcium in even large servings make beef a poor choice solely for calcium.

You’re better off basing your meals around plant foods like leafy greens, tofu, beans, and nuts to meet daily calcium needs. Dairy products are also great options if tolerated, along with seafood with edible bones. Consider a supplement if dietary sources are insufficient.

While calcium absorption from beef is comparable to other sources when eaten in mixed meals, you’d have to eat very large quantities to obtain meaningful amounts. Stick to recommended 3- to 6-ounce portions of lean beef a few times weekly as part of a calcium-rich balanced diet.

Beef can be incorporated as part of an overall bone-healthy lifestyle that also includes weight-bearing exercise, not smoking, limiting alcohol and soda, and getting adequate magnesium and vitamins D and K. It takes a holistic approach to build strong, fracture-resistant bones over a lifetime.

The Takeaway

Beef is not a significant calcium source. The nominal amounts it provides are completely negligible for bone health compared to dairy, seafood, leafy greens and other far more calcium-rich foods. While beef has a place in a well-rounde