When you include the American Institute for Cancer Research in your estate plans, you make a major difference in the fight against cancer.

Corporate Champions who partner with the American Institute for Cancer Research stand at the forefront of the fight against cancer

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The AICR Lifestyle & Cancer Symposium addresses the most current and consequential issues regarding diet, obesity, physical activity and cancer.

The Annual AICR Research Conference is the most authoritative source for information on diet, obesity, physical activity and cancer.

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Read real-life accounts of how AICR is changing lives through cancer prevention and survivorship.

We bring a detailed policy framework to our advocacy efforts, and provide lawmakers with the scientific evidence they need to achieve our objectives.

AICR champions research that increases understanding of the relationship between nutrition, lifestyle, and cancer.

Are you ready to make a difference? Join our team and help us advance research, improve cancer education and provide lifesaving resources.

AICR’s resources can help you navigate questions about nutrition and lifestyle, and empower you to advocate for your health.

March 31, 2014 | 2 minute read

If I follow a plant-based diet, how can I meet my calcium needs?

Q:        If I follow a plant-based diet, how can I meet my calcium needs?

A:        A plant-based diet includes mostly, not only, plant foods, so you can get most of your calcium from dairy products. These provide calcium in concentrated amounts in a well-absorbed form. Current federal recommendations for adults of 1000 to 1200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day can be met by a balanced variety of healthy foods that includes 2.5 to 3 standard servings of milk, yogurt or cheese.

However, you can choose plant-based options for some or all of those servings if you prefer. One standard dairy serving is 1 cup milk or yogurt or 1 1/2 ounces cheese. You can get this amount of calcium from 1 cup of calcium-fortified orange juice, calcium-fortified soymilk or soy yogurt, or 1 serving of calcium-fortified bread or waffles. Tofu is another option, though the calcium content varies. Check the label, because a four-ounce serving (about a half-cup) can range from 80 to over 400 milligrams (equal to about a quarter-cup to more than a cup of milk). Fortunately, tofu’s calcium is easily absorbed, too.

A number of dark green leafy vegetables provide calcium, but these alone will not give you enough, especially because the body’s ability to absorb calcium from vegetables is somewhat limited. To get the calcium equivalent to a serving of dairy products requires 1/2 cup of Chinese cabbage, 1-1 1/2 cups kale or bok choy, more than 2 cups of broccoli, and 8 cups of cooked spinach.

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