Daily Dairy

bakemma
bakemma Posts: 161 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was in a nutrition class the other day and our professor was talking about dairy consumption. I am extremely lactose intolerant, ( even hard cheese makes my stomach hurt so forget about butter, milk, or ice cream.) And he said that after the age of 4 no one actually needs to drink milk. Period. The cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products in our diet are sufficient to keep up with our calcium needs. I was thinking about this, and I drink 1-2 servings of soy milk enriched with vitamin d almost every day. Is this okay or should I be taking a calcium supplement?

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,268 Member
    I was in a nutrition class the other day and our professor was talking about dairy consumption. I am extremely lactose intolerant, ( even hard cheese makes my stomach hurt so forget about butter, milk, or ice cream.) And he said that after the age of 4 no one actually needs to drink milk. Period. The cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products in our diet are sufficient to keep up with our calcium needs. I was thinking about this, and I drink 1-2 servings of soy milk enriched with vitamin d almost every day. Is this okay or should I be taking a calcium supplement?
    No one ever needs to drink anything in particular at anytime. If soy milk works for you and you believe that your getting enough calcium from it, then drink it. Personally I prefer calcium from foods that have it naturally as opposed to foods where they add chalk.
  • bakemma
    bakemma Posts: 161 Member
    No one ever needs to drink anything in particular at anytime. If soy milk works for you and you believe that your getting enough calcium from it, then drink it. Personally I prefer calcium from foods that have it naturally as opposed to foods where they add chalk.
    [/quote]

    What foods have a lot of it naturally?
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
    Dairy and enriched soy drinks aren't the only things with calcium. Dark leafy greens, sesame seeds, tofu and nutritional yeast all pack a hefty calcium punch. Just make sure to incorporate these foods into your diet and you shouldn't have to worry about supplementing.

    If you're concerned about your calcium intake, it may be in your best interest to track it here on MFP, just to be sure.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,268 Member
    What foods have a lot of it naturally?

    Egg shells. My wife is lactose intolerant and I grind egg shells to a powder to supplement her needs. Egg shells are also about 90% bioavailable to the human body, which is the highest I've seen considering dairy is around 40-60% and most plant sources are pretty low to almost non existant, so been doing that.
  • Mangoagogoo
    Mangoagogoo Posts: 3 Member
    People do not require dairy products. Vegan diet removes all animal based products and people do well, say nourished.. Calcium supplement is good w/ vitamin D. Best to visit with your medical provider and do much research. Google "Calcium rich foods" and several options come up. Sardines, soybeans, dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, turnips, and collard greens.
  • paygep
    paygep Posts: 401 Member
    you can track your calcium on your food diary. I have track it and iron along with my macros. it's in your reports.
  • MicroHez
    MicroHez Posts: 125 Member
    A supplement of calcium plus Vit D isn't gonna hurt anything. I take 2 tablets plus whatever is in the multivitamin a day. I also get about 3-4 servings of dairy.
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    Dairy is actually not such a good source of calcium - but don't tell your professor. They've all been brainwashed.

    I rarely eat any dairy & get 100% of my calcium requirement from vegetables - a healthier source.
  • seena511
    seena511 Posts: 685 Member
    What foods have a lot of it naturally?

    Egg shells. My wife is lactose intolerant and I grind egg shells to a powder to supplement her needs. Egg shells are also about 90% bioavailable to the human body, which is the highest I've seen considering dairy is around 40-60% and most plant sources are pretty low to almost non existant, so been doing that.

    this is blowing my mind. i'm legitimately going to look into this.

    OP, i would suggest tracking your calcium on here if you're concerned about it. you can get calcium from a lot of other sources that others have mentioned. also when i was younger, my doctor told me to take Tums at the end of the day if i didn't have 3 servings of dairy that day. so, if all else fails, just chew one or 2 tums at night. they're yummy.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,268 Member
    Dairy is actually not such a good source of calcium - but don't tell your professor. They've all been brainwashed.

    I rarely eat any dairy & get 100% of my calcium requirement from vegetables - a healthier source.
    Why is calcium from plants better and dairy a bad source of calcium?
  • seena511
    seena511 Posts: 685 Member
    Dairy is actually not such a good source of calcium - but don't tell your professor. They've all been brainwashed.

    I rarely eat any dairy & get 100% of my calcium requirement from vegetables - a healthier source.
    Why is calcium from plants better and dairy a bad source of calcium?

    because cows milk will kill you, duh
  • dittmarml
    dittmarml Posts: 351 Member
    I get all the calcium I need from almond milk (supplemented) and from beans and green leafy vegetables.
  • littlebudgie
    littlebudgie Posts: 279 Member
    Bok choy is one of my favourite non-dairy sources of calcium.
  • bss1948
    bss1948 Posts: 3
    You should always take a calcium supplement. Anything else can be a bonus. :smile:
  • bakemma
    bakemma Posts: 161 Member
    Thanks. I've decided I will track my calcium and see if/what I need to adjust. All of you were very helpful. Thanks again!! :)

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