Lactose intolerance is an inability to properly digest milk sugar in dairy, whereas calcium intolerance is an inability to fully digest calcium. It's highly unlikely that you'd develop intolerance to calcium. Most food intolerance is linked to sugars and proteins in food. You may also develop intolerance to additives, preservatives, colorings, sulfites and salicylates. Any discomfort you're experiencing as a result of foods or beverages containing calcium is almost certainly from lactose intolerance.
Intolerance
A true intolerance to food is, more often than not, a result of the enzymes needed to properly digest food sugars or proteins. With lactose intolerance, your small intestine doesn't produce enough lactase, the enzyme needed to breakdown lactose into glucose and galactose --- two simple sugars that are absorbed into the bloodstream, explains the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. This means lactose moves through the digestive tract relatively intact until it reaches the colon. Once there, bacteria help metabolize it, which causes symptoms associated with the condition.
Symptoms
Symptoms of lactose intolerance are similar to any other intolerance to foods. You'll experience gas, bloating and abdominal pain, which may then be followed by nausea and diarrhea. For most people, symptoms manifest in as little as 30 minutes after eating or drinking foods or beverages made from dairy.
Treatment
Reducing the amount of dairy in your diet is the most effective form of treatment for lactose intolerance. However, some people find consuming foods or beverages with other foods minimizes symptoms of the condition, while others reduce symptoms by simply limiting serving sizes. You may also find intolerance isolated to certain dairy products, allowing you to eat cultured dairy or hard cheeses. These products tend to contain less lactose than other dairy products, notes MayoClinic.com. Taking over-the-counter lactase supplements may prove beneficial, as well.
Calcium
Even if you were to develop an intolerance to calcium, which is doubtful, you're only looking at a digestive response to the mineral. This is much different than an allergy, which is a true immune response, so you'd still be able to eat or drink foods and beverages that contain calcium. Talk to your doctor to determine exactly what's causing signs and symptoms of intolerance. Instead, you may find that another condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease or even Celiac disease, is causing your discomfort. Proper diagnosis is essential to proper treatment.
