Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance and Calcium Replacement

Have you stopped drinking milk because the symptoms of lactose intolerance make you feel so uncomfortable?

If you no longer drink milk, you may be asking what can you do for calcium replacement in your diet. This is a concern for any person of any age who is unable to consume milk products.

In 1997, the National Institute of Medicine released a report recommending new requirements for daily calcium intake. The amounts were increased from the previous RDA levels. Listed below are the current recommended calcium amounts listed by age groups.

Children 9-18 1300 mg

Adults 19-50 1000 mg

Adults 50+ 1200 mg

An 8 ounce glass of milk contains about 300 mg of calcium. That one glass of milk is about 25% of your total daily recommended calcium intake. That is a significant amount. It is important that you find dietary alternatives containing calcium. Before lactose intolerance, you could drink 3 glasses of milk and receive the remaining calcium requirements from a healthy diet. Now you have to make an effort to find that calcium in other foods.

Here is a list of good alternatives with plenty of calcium.

Cheese: One ounce of Swiss cheese contains about 270 mg of calcium. An ounce of cheddar has about 200 mg.

Yogurt: One cup of any kind of yogurt contains about 400 mg of calcium, although that amount can vary. Make sure you read the label.

Calcium-fortified orange juice: Many of the fortified juices have about 300 mg per serving. The citric acid in the juice also allows the body to absorb the calcium more easily.

Tofu: Some types of tofu are made with calcium sulfate, which provides about 200 mg in a half-cup. Read the label to make sure it was made with calcium sulfate.

Dark green leafy vegetables: The best vegetables are broccoli, kale, chard, mustard and other greens. The calcium in leafy greens is released more easily if the vegetables are frozen. Spinach is not a good calcium source. Its calcium is tied up in an organic complex that can't be digested.

Fish: Tinned sardines and mackerel, as well as canned salmon, contain calcium. Canned salmon is a good source of calcium if you mash and eat the bones.

Cereals: Some ready-to-eat cereals are fortified with calcium.

Note: The calcium-laden foods listed above are from the Penn State site.

10 Ways to Avoid the Dreaded Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

You are probably asking a lot of questions right now if you know or suspect that you are suffering from symptoms of lactose intolerance. I know I did when we first learned that my daughter is lactose intolerant. How do you control the symptoms? Do you need to avoid all dairy products? Can you eat anything dairy?

Let's start with things you can do to avoid the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

1. You can, of course, avoid all milk and dairy products.

2. Consume smaller quantities spread throughout your day instead of one large serving of any dairy product. You may learn that you can drink 2 to 4 ounces of milk at a time, but not 8 ounces without suffering the consequences.

3. Supplement your diet with over-the-counter Lactase Enzyme Dietary Supplements. You are probably familiar with the brand name Lactaid.

4. Add the lactase enzyme to your milk 24 hours before you drink it.

5. Stick with hard or aged cheeses. Choices that include cheddar and swiss are much better than American or mozzarella.

6. Drink soy milk.

7. Hard ice cream is a better choice than a softer ice cream, like soft serve. The school nurse told us that one.

8. Eat other foods when you have milk or dairy products. Your digestive system is slowed down and you are less likely to have any symptoms.

9. Eat yogurt that includes an active culture.

10. Read labels carefully to avoid all milk and milk solids.

By following these steps, you should be able to avoid the dreaded symptoms of lactose intolerance.

Are You Experiencing Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance?

For starters, do you have:

1. Abdominal cramping

2. Rumbling abdominal sounds

3. Abdominal bloating

4. Gas

5. Diarrhea

Not pleasant. The symptoms of lactose intolerance usually occur within 30 minutes to 2 hours after you eat or drink some kind of a dairy product.

The intolerance is a result of not being able to digest lactose, a natural sugar found in milk. And you can't digest lactose because your body is not producing the enzyme called lactase that is needed to break down the lactose.

Your intolerance level can vary, depending upon different factors, such as the amount of lactase produced, age, and ethnicity. Your tolerance level can vary from being able to eat small amounts of dairy products to having zero tolerance to any amount.

By now, you may be asking, “How do I know for sure if I am having lactose intolerance symptoms?”

The most obvious way, of course, is to abstain from any kind of milk product. This can be tricky, because you have to read all labels to make sure you avoid all forms of milk products.

Next, you can ask your doctor to administer the Hydrogen Breath Test. In this test, you are given a lactose-loaded drink. If you are lactose intolerant, the lactose is undigested in the colon. It is then fermented by bacteria, producing various gases, including hydrogen. The hydrogen is then passed through the bloodstream to the lungs. For the next 2 to 3 hours, the hydrogen levels are measured by having you exhale into a tube. Raised levels of hydrogen indicate lactose intolerance, resulting in symptoms of lactose intolerance.