We studied the effects of four calcium-rich foodstuffs on postprandial parathyroid hormone secretion. Four hundred milligrams calcium from either Emmental cheese, milk, sesame seeds, spinach, or calcium salt (calcium lactate gluconate + calcium carbonate) or no additional calcium (control session) were given to nine female volunteers immediately after a first blood sample (at 0900) in random order with a light standardized meal containing 37 mg Ca. Blood samples were taken at 0900 (before the calcium load), 1000, 1100, 1300, and 1500 at every study session. Urine was collected during the sessions. Serum ionized calcium, phosphate, magnesium, intact parathyroid hormone, and urinary calcium excretion were measured. The serum ionized calcium concentration increased significantly after ingesting cheese (P = 0.004, contrast analysis) or calcium salt (P = 0.05, contrast analysis) compared with the control session. Compared with the control session, the serum phosphate concentration increased after the cheese session (P = 0.004, contrast analysis) and after the milk session (P = 0.02, contrast analysis). Calcium salt (P = 0.007, contrast analysis) and cheese (P = 0.002, contrast analysis) caused a significant decline in serum intact parathyroid hormone compared with the control session. The urinary calcium excretion with cheese was 141% (P = 0.001), with milk was 107% (P = 0.004), and with calcium salt was 75% (P = 0.02) above that of the control session. Our results show that calcium from sesame seeds and spinach does not cause an acute response in calcium metabolism. Our results indicate that fermented cheese could be a better dietary source of calcium than milk when the metabolic effects of the foodstuffs are considered.