- Fact Checked
Last Updated: May 18, 2019
It is common knowledge that calcium is highly recommended if you’re looking to maintain bone strength and good nutrition.
We created a list of the newest and best vegan calcium supplements that are not derived from animal parts.
With this guide, you’ll be able to find the top high-quality vegan calcium tablets, which you can easily implement in your everyday diet.
After all, calcium is hard to come by via food in a vegan diet, so it’s important to be aware of the best plant-based calcium supplements (see also ‘Flo Vitamin Gummy Review-Deal with PMS‘) on the market.
These Deva Vegan calcium tablets contain the optimal amount of plant-based calcium, as well as zinc, vitamin C, boron, copper, magnesium and vitamin D.
The tablets have been certified as vegan by the Vegan Society, so you can rest assured that there are no animals inside or harmed during production or research.Deva Vegan calcium tablets are small and easy to swallow, which is a definite advantage if you’re not great at swallowing those massive pills.
Commonly taken by vegan athletes (see also ‘What is the Best Cardio Workout For Athletes?‘) and people who are into fitness, Deva Vegan has created a really convenient and reliable product which is good for people who have been found to have low calcium levels due to their diet.
Isn’t that great for your vegan diet?
Other Deva Vegan products:
Garden Of Life, whose name I always find to be wholesome and adorable, has created quite possibly the ideal form of calcium supplement for vegans here — extracting 800mg from organic algae per serving, which is quite a high amount of calcium.
The company’s products are certified as organic and non-GMO, so they’re good if you’re trying to avoid nasty chemicals seeping into your diet. The tablets are actually made from real fruits and vegetables, so it’s about as natural as it gets.
You have to take 3 pills a day, which sadly is the case with most of these supplements (it helps with calcium absorption) but the pills are very easy to swallow, at least in my opinion, so that’s a huge plus for me.
Another excellent Garden of Life Product you can try is their protein powder.
This slightly unusual product is a drink that is infused with magnesium and calcium, supposedly helping to reduce stress, muscle cramps, and potential skeletal problems.
The balanced pH formula of this drink is said to help reduce lactic acid, the acid which builds up in our muscles when they’re tired, making them feel weak and painful. A lot of customers leaving reviews seem to use this drink to get rid of muscle cramps on the go.
I found that putting a spoonful of this drink in a cup of hot water and slowly sipping it was a good way to relax (see also ‘DIY Essential Oil Recipes For Natural Relaxation‘) and chill out, although I’m always curious about how “relaxing” these things are and whether it’s more of a placebo effect.
Pure Synergy, which sounds a bit like the name of a business conference, has created a product here which contains calcium from Icelandic red algae, which I have to admit conjures up some pretty cool Viking-esque images in my mind.
They also specify that their calcium comes from “white sesame seeds, not rocks” unlike many other tablets that derive the mineral from certain types of rock.
The product is really focused on building bone health, containing Vitamins D3 & K2, Magnesium, Silica, Strontium, Boron, Vanadium, and unusual herbal extracts such as Cissus, Saragassum, Wasabi, and Tabasheer.
That’s a whole lot of big words, but supposedly they’re all ideal for skeletal health.
The product from New Chapter has a wide variety of benefits for your body, supporting strong bones, heart health, and joint flexibility.
These vegan vitamins also include vitamin D3 to aid with calcium absorption, making it easier for your body to absorb the calcium and use it effectively.
The plant-based calcium helps to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.One thing to note is that it does contain fermented soy, so it’s not ideal if you have a soy allergy or sensitivity.
Make sure to check the label to avoid any allergies.
These gummy vegan vitamins do seem to be marketed toward children (see also ‘ A Guide to Feeding a Vegan Child ‘) , although adults can take them as well.
The nice-tasting gummies are made from pectin (not gelatin) and each one contains 250mg of calcium and 2000 IU of Vitamin D3, helping to support healthy bones and teeth.
As you would expect, the gummies are 100% plant-based and non-GMO, so you can rest assured that you’re not putting anything nasty into your body.
It may not be a sufficient supplement option for adults (especially if you’re active), but kids love it for sure.
The makers of this product claim that their supplements have increased the bone density of women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s.
However, they use a lot of CAPITAL LETTERS and exclamation points when touting the benefits and claims of their product, which also strikes me as clickbaity and untrustworthy.
They also use overly-simple graphs with straight lines pointing upwards and looking impactful. Maybe I’m just a cynic.
Still, they contain plenty of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3, and numerous other components, so they’re worth trying if you can get past the “BUY THIS STUFF” sales pitch they’re giving you.
Vegans should potentially supplement calcium in order to meet the recommended daily calcium intake, but you’re going to find a lot of conflicting opinions on this matter within the vegan community.Although it is entirely possible to meet your calcium needs from plant foods such as tofu and bok choy, the team at Vegan.com acknowledges that it would be a constant struggle.
Meeting your calcium needs requires greater attention. That’s because many foods contain virtually no calcium, and most people don’t supplement for this nutrient. Supplementing is therefore frequently a wise choice, both for vegans and non-vegans. – Vegan.com Team
However, the Vegan Society seems to think that people eating a plant-based diet can get all of their calcium from food alone.
In the UK, the recommended intake for adults is 700 milligrams per day. You can get all the calcium you need from a vegan diet. – The Vegan Society
If you’re unsure about whether to supplement calcium or not, it’s probably best to err on the side of caution and take some supplements. You can also watch this video below to learn about the signs of calcium deficiency
When it comes to vegan vs. non-vegan calcium supplements, many people would assume that non-vegan is far superior.
However, evidence shows that this is not necessarily the case. Plant-based calcium can have just as many health benefits as dairy-based.There are non-vegan supplements available that contain animal-based ingredients such as oyster shell and bone meal, which are obviously not ideal for vegan people.
Many of the non-vegan supplements also contain calcium obtained from rocks such as limestone, while the veggie alternatives tend to extract their nutrients from various types of algae.You’ll also find a lot of sneakily non-vegan supplements that are not obvious. For example, many products are housed in gelatin capsules or contain vitamin D which is extracted from lanolin, a wool wax that comes from domesticated sheep. (1)Of course, there are many vegan-friendly products on the market too, with Deva Vegan and Garden Of Life calcium pills being frequently recommended for their algae-based calcium and plant-derived ingredients.
Research suggests that marine algae could indeed contain the calcium, minerals, and nutrients necessary to support strong bone regeneration.
How much calcium you need per day depends on your sex and weight, but it is generally agreed that in the US adult men need 1,000 mg per day and adult women need 1,000 mg per day too. (2)Once women get to 50 years of age, however, they should up their calcium intake to 1,200 mg per day.
Once men get to around 70 years of age, they should also up their intake to 1,200 mg per day in order to support their bones.There are side effects to taking too much, so it’s a good idea to stay within the RDA guidelines.It’s also worth mentioning that the RDA differs depending on where you live.
For instance, in the UK, the RDA is 700mg per day for adults and pregnant women, (see best ab workout when pregnant) so always consider the advice of nutritionists in your local region.
You need to look for a lot in a calcium supplement, such as a presence of vitamin D, the serving size that you need, any additional vitamins, and the possible side effects that the product could have on you. This is why it is often included in calcium supplements; the calcium could be rendered useless without it.
Of course, you also need to consider how much calcium you’re already getting your diet and how close you’re coming to the 1,000 mg RDA through meal consumption alone.
Vitamin D is intrinsically linked to calcium absorption, helping your body to absorb and use the mineral effectively.
For instance, if you consume a lot of fortified plant-based milk (see also our DIY vegan evaporated milk recipe) and foods like tofu and kale, then you could be coming close and only need a small serving size.Remember that taking too strong a supplement could lead to side effects like unpleasant gas and bloating.
What’s the best form of calcium to take? The best form of calcium to take is usually said to be calcium carbonate, as this contains 40% elemental calcium. (3) The next best form to take is calcium citrate, which contains 21% elemental calcium.
Most supplements will try to include these forms of calcium, although there are others such as calcium lactate and calcium gluconate which are not uncommon either. It’s hard to define the “best” form of the mineral per se because it depends on your personal dietary needs.What are the best calcium-rich foods in a vegan diet? The best calcium-rich foods in a vegan diet include soy-based foods such as tofu and tempeh, in addition to a selection of seeds, nuts, peas, beans, and lentils.
Certain fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and types of seaweed are also rich in calcium, such as broccoli, kale, and bok choy. A lot of the most calcium-rich vegan meals are Eastern in origin, so they’re not ideal if you have more of a Western palate.What interferes with the absorption of calcium? Sodium is known for interfering with the absorption of calcium, as excess sodium levels cause you to urinate more calcium out of your body. (4) Too much protein is also an issue, as this leads to the production of sulfates, which similarly force more calcium into your pee and hence out of your body.
Insoluble fiber, alcohol, and caffeine can also inhibit the uptake of calcium, in addition to lifestyle factors such as smoking, stress, and a lack of exercise (see also ‘ Common Exercises For Seniors’ ).When should you take calcium? Morning or night? When you take calcium, you should spread it across morning and night if possible, taking no more than 500mg at once. Ideally, you should take 500mg in the morning and 500mg at night, meeting your 1,000mg RDA over the course of the day.
With most forms of calcium, you should take them with food, as it leads to better uptake. However, always check the label of your product.
Here is a list of the best vegan magnesium supplements.
For the body to efficiently use these minerals, it is recommended to take 2 parts calcium to 1 part magnesium. A ratio higher than this could make your stomach more alkaline and your body may struggle with absorption of both (5)(6).
What vegan foods contain a good amount of calcium?
There are plenty. You can read our full article on vegan sources of calcium.
So there we have it. I hope you enjoyed this guide to calcium on a vegan diet – it turns out that you don’t need to be wolfing down yogurt and cheese to have decent bones after all.My personal choice for the top vegan calcium supplement has to go to Deva Vegan, whose algae-based product contains a bunch of additional beneficial ingredients like vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc.What’s more, it’s also approved by the Vegan Society, which is always a surefire sign that a product is good and reliable in my experience… not to mention vegan.
Address: 1300 Avenida Vista Hermosa, San Clemente, CA 92673, United States | Phone Number: +1 (949) 248-0131 | Email: contact@veganliftz.com