Fast-cooking Chinese cabbage — high in calcium that absorbs unusually well.
Bok choy is a loose-leaf cabbage with crisp white stems and dark green leaves. It cooks in
minutes.
Its notable feature is calcium. Unlike spinach, bok choy is low in oxalates,
which means the calcium in it is absorbed far more efficiently — comparable to dairy in
absorption rate, though lower in absolute amount.
It is also high in vitamins A, C and
K for very few calories.
Per 100g raw.
Based on the nutrients and fibre this food supplies. These are supporting foods, not treatments.
Separate stems from leaves. Stems need a minute or two head start;
leaves wilt in seconds.
High heat, short time. Bok choy goes from crisp
to limp fast.
Baby bok choy can be cooked whole, halved
lengthways.
Wash carefully — grit collects at the base where the
stems meet.
Oxalates bind calcium in the gut and carry it out unabsorbed. Spinach is high in them,
which is why its impressive calcium figure translates to very little absorbed
calcium.
Bok choy, kale and other low-oxalate greens do not have this problem.
Absorption rates from these vegetables are around 50%, compared with roughly 5% from
spinach and about 32% from milk. The absolute amounts are lower than dairy, but the
efficiency is genuinely better.
On blood thinners: high in vitamin K, which interacts with warfarin.
You do not have to avoid it — keep intake steady rather than swinging week to week, and
tell your doctor.
Kidney disease: potassium may need limiting. Ask your doctor for your
numbers.
IBS: several vegetables are high-FODMAP and commonly trigger
symptoms — tolerance is personal.
This is information, not a prescription. If you are managing a diagnosed condition or taking medication, talk to your doctor before making a large change to your diet.
Nutrition figures on this page come from standard food composition data. These links let you check the numbers and read the underlying research yourself rather than taking our word for it.