My Ten Year Old Is Lacto Intolerant

You really should ask her pediatrician and a pharmacist.

There are a few reasons. Though available OTC, the amount of calcium she needs per day is quite different from what we need as adults. The human body can only process 500mg at a time anyhow which makes you wonder why companies make 1000mg tablets?

Also calcium is available in so many other foods. Here's a great document from NIH (National Institutes of Health) that has both what should be daily intake levels as well as foods other than dairy that provide high levels of calcium (like broccoli).
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp

FYI - there is only 1 known population on Earth, a small Israeli population, that is genetically lactose tolerant. The rest of us are genetically lactose intolerant - it's just a matter of how much lactose affects us similar to people's reactions to bee stings.

Good luck - hope this helps.

I have been sensitive to lactose since birth too... around 18 years old I have learned to understand my body on which days are bad days and I should eat NO lactose or sometimes I have good days where I can have a glass of milk, cheese or ice cream. I limit my intake and the more I have latose the more it disagrees with me so limiting it is really key, the lactose pills never really worked well for me so limiting is sometimes the only option.

With that talk your child's pediatrician and tell them your concern they will be the best in telling you what you can do to get additional calcium. I take pills calcium and vitamin D, but they have to be spaced out because your body can only absorb a certain amount of calcium at one time. Also the amount I take will be different then someone else's amount. Also there are MANY other foods that have higher calcium in it then milk also many things are enriched with calcium now so chose those items too.

Non-Dairy Calcium Rich Foods
--Salmon
--Tofu
--Rhubarb
--Sardines
--Collard greens
--Spinach
--Turnip greens
--Okra
--White beans
--Baked beans
--Broccoli
--Peas
--Brussel sprouts
--Sesame seeds
--Bok choy
--Almonds

Calcium Enriched Foods (read the labels to see if they are calucim enriched)
--Calcium-fortified breakfast cereal, including General Mills Whole Grain Total, Total Raisin Bran, Total Cranberry Crunch, and Total Honey Clusters, all of which have 100% DV of calcium per serving!
--Calcium-fortified orange juice
--Calcium-fortified soy milk
--SunnyD with Calcium (most SunnyD products don't have calcium, so look for the one that does if your child needs extra calcium in his diet)
--Instant oatmeal
--Calcium-fortified bread or English muffins
--Calcium-fortified drink mixes such as Pediasure or Carnation Instant Breakfast
--Other calcium-fortified breakfast cereals, including General Mills Golden Grahams (350 mg)

Daily Calcium Needs
-- It is also important to understand how much calcium kids actually need.

The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences recommends:
500 mg a day for kids who are 1 to 3 years old
800 mg a day for kids who are 4 to 8 years old
1,300 mg a day for kids who are 9 to 18 years old

Keep in mind that calcium's percent Daily Value (% DV), which is a guide to how much of a particular nutrient you should get each day, on food labels is based on the adult requirements of 1000 mg a day. So a cup of milk that was 30% DV for calcium, would be equal to 300 mg of calcium, which would actually be equal to 60% of a toddler's calcium needs for the day. But it would be only about 23% of a teen's calcium needs. That means that you can only really use the % DV as a guide to how much calcium your kids are getting from the foods they are eating each day.

Hi S., I and my kids alike are lactose intolerant & milk protien intolerant.
After many years as a child with stomach discomfort (putting it mildly) & fatigue etc. I have found a great homeopathic Dr.
The truth is we (humans) are not made to ingest milk all our lives, past infancy there is no real need for it.
For calcium I suggest orange juice fortified with calcium, lots of broccoli and other calcium rich foods & calcium supplements. L'il Critters has a great gummy bear one that has no artificial anything.
Hope this helps,
J.

Not sure if you are interested in trying a daily product versus a product your daughter has to take every time before she eats dairy (which is sometimes hard to do or remember). I use to take Dairy care which is sometimes hard to find so I switched to another product by Advocare. If you are interested, I can give you info on that or you can look for Dairycare.
Good luck!
Ange

Dear S.,

On your daughter's diet, I want to say very briefly that if she's lactose-intolerant, it's much better to get her off milk and milk products. Lactaid pills are great for special occasions like birthday cake, Halloween candy, etc., but not for every day. And there are plenty of great, healthy, non-dairy calcium supplements for kids. Just get a pediatric version.

I really wanted to respond because of you, though. DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP! Parenting is so, so hard. I swear, there's this conspiracy out there to hide it from people until they have kids, because otherwise the human race would end :). We all just do the best we can, we make mistakes every step of the way, and we keep going. Your daughter sounds (from your other post) like she'll need some tough love in addition to a change in diet. This will be hard, but YOU CAN DO IT! Just take lots of deep breaths and don't be afraid to reach out for help. One thought on the discipline front would be to ask around and see if there's some kind of Outward Bound-type program for kids her age -- something that simultaneously teaches respect for authority while building a kind of self-esteem that doesn't conflict with authority. Rather than trying to turn your relationship around solo, look for someone who can be an authority figure right away and then model your tone after that person. DARE has programs along these lines, I think.

And, take care of yourself! Do the very best you can at this impossible job all week, and then set aside $10 or $20 for something -- a pedicure, chocolate, whatever works for you -- to congratulate yourself for the fact that you and your daughter both survived to face another week. Next week, same thing. You can do it. We all can.

[hugs],

Mira

I am also lactose-intolerant. You can use lactose-free milk rather than using regulr milk and having her take a pill (which, for me, didn't work that well, anyway). Also, many cheeses are very low lactose (virtually lactose-free). Mozzarella is one, plus aged cheddar.

One thing to note, dairy has three components so you need to be sure the issue is indeed lactase. I pulled my daughter off dairy but didn't know about whey.

lots of vegetables have calcium look it up on line

Green vegetables and lots of running around outside - vitamin D for calcium absorption. But lactaid pills are just a natural enzyme - not medicine. Being lactose intolerant simply means that her stomach does not produce the enzyme 'lactase' to break down the lactose sugar in milk products. A lactose pill simply provides the needed enzyme. It's not like taking ibuprofen everyday and hurting yourself over several years. So, buy her organic milk (no growth hormones) and just have her take a lactaid pill or two with the first bite. Costco sells them in bulk. It's no big deal. Just carry a few in your purses, and teach her to take responsibility for it by having a few in her locker or backpack - and some in the glove compartment of your car. Then the impromptu pizza or ice cream is no problem.

Has she tried Lactaid? It's not soy, it's milk that has been processed past the lactose. My daughter is lactose intolerant and she loves it! It's a little sweeter than normal milk, but is really similar. Hope this helps.