Devoid of blocking molecules, more than 53% of its calcium is assimilated by the body according to data from the Osteoporosis Research and Information Group. It’s a record.
After age 50, calcium is even more important because it helps protect your bones and avoid the risk of osteoporosis. “In France, calcium = dairy products. However, dairy products only provide a good third of adults’ calcium. They are neither miraculous nor essential. At the same time, plant sources are numerous and effective“, wants to reestablish the dietitian-nutritionist Marie-Gabrielle Domizi in her book Neither meat nor deficiency (ed. La Plage). Among all plant sources, a green vegetable easily found in supermarkets or on market stalls achieves a major nutritional feat: it allows the body to assimilate, in equal portions, twice as much calcium as yogurt.
It all depends on the ability of the intestines to absorb this mineral. This is what doctors call “bioavailability.” On paper, many vegetables contain calcium, but the body often rejects it (as with spinach, where only 5% of calcium is absorbed). Our green champion crushes the competition: completely free of blocking molecules, more than 53% of its calcium is assimilated by the body, according to data from the Osteoporosis Research and Information Group (GRIO). It’s a record.
This star vegetable is none other than watercress. According to the official ANSES nutrition table (Ciqual), 100 g of watercress provides 160 mg of calcium, compared to 130 mg for yogurt. But if we calculate what actually ends up in our bones after digestion, the match is clear: watercress provides 85 mg of useful calcium, compared to only 41 mg for yogurt. It even provides more than Comté, which is nevertheless the cheese with the highest concentration of calcium in the French cheese landscape. It is for these reasons in particular that watercress was voted “the healthiest food in the world” by researchers at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
Unlike other very dense cabbages, watercress is tender and can be bought in bunches or ready-to-use bags in the fresh section. In summer, you can also discover garden cress (also called “watercress”). Often sold in trays still alive on its roots, it has the same virtues for bones as winter watercress (watercress), but its shoots (smaller) have a slightly peppery flavor, perfect for waking up summer dishes.
To easily consume 100 g this month of June, forget hot soups. Eat it raw, in a salad or simply mix it with half a cucumber, a drizzle of olive oil and natural yogurt (or cream cheese): you obtain an ultra-refreshing express green gazpacho, a real calcium bomb for the bones. “Leafy vegetables not only contain highly absorbable calcium, they also provide magnesium, potassium and vitamin K, all of which work synergistically for skeletal strength.“, concludes the nutrition expert.
