If you're lactose intolerant, or have a dairy allergy, you may be concerned about your calcium intake. Essential for strong bones and healthy teeth, calcium also helps your nerves transmit signals, allows your muscles to contract and helps your blood to clot. Although dairy products contain calcium, many other foods -- especially fish and green vegetables -- contain calcium. Your doctor can test for a calcium deficiency, and supplements are also available.
The Importance of Calcium
Calcium is the most plentiful mineral in your body. Your skeleton stores about 99 percent of your calcium supply, and the remaining 1 percent is found in your bloodstream and soft tissues. That 1 percent is crucial for proper muscle function -- which includes your heart. If you don't get enough calcium from your diet, your body will leech calcium from your bones to keep your muscles and nerves functioning properly. Over time, this can weaken your bones, leading to osteoporosis. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, more than 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, and 80 percent of those people are women.
Calcium Sources
The average adult needs about 1,000 mg of calcium daily, although calcium needs increase with age -- adults older than 50 may need 1,200 mg daily. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may need up to 1,300 mg of calcium each day. Many dairy foods are rich in calcium, especially yogurt, milk and cheese. One, 8-oz. serving of yogurt can have about 400 mg of calcium, almost half your daily requirement. One cup of milk has about 300 mg of calcium, but so does 1 cup of spinach. Sardines and salmon are also rich in calcium; a 3-oz. serving of sardines has 325 mg of calcium. Almonds, tofu and legumes naturally contain calcium and many foods, such as orange juice, are fortified with calcium.
Lactose Intolerance
Dairy foods, although high in calcium, also contain a naturally occurring sugar called lactose. Your body needs a specific enzyme, lactase, to digest lactose. Most infants are born with the ability to manufacture this enzyme, but your body stops making lactase as you mature. As young as 2 years old, your body may begin slowing production of lactase. Almost 80 percent of people from certain ethnic groups -- Asians, Native Americans, Africans, Jews and Mexicans -- are lactose intolerant. Human breast milk is almost 7 percent lactose, cow's milk is about 5 percent lactose and sheep and goat's milk have a lower lactose content. You may be able to digest some lactose, but if you're lactose intolerant, too much lactose can cause bloating, gas, stomach cramps and nausea.
Lactose Intolerance and Calcium Absorption
Your body does not need lactose to absorb calcium. You can get all the calcium you need from dairy-free sources. Many milk substitutes, such as milks made from soy, rice, almonds or hemp, are fortified with calcium. If you enjoy dairy products, lactose-free milk is available, so are pills that contain the enzyme lactase to help you digest dairy products that contain lactose. Removing the lactose from milk does not affect the calcium content.
