For 50 million Americans consuming dairy can be a painful and miserable experience. Lactose intolerance is a condition where the enzyme lactase is not produced in sufficient quantity to digest the lactose that is in dairy. This causes diarrhea, nausea, bloating and gas forcing lactose intolerant individuals to avoid dairy completely. Avoiding dairy completely without replacing the important nutrition it represents in our diet can come at a risk however.

Dairy is the primary source of calcium in out diet, accounting for 75% of all calcium in the US food supply and it also contains several other important vitamins and minerals. By removing dairy from the diet you put your body at risk for several other conditions such as osteoporosis, weak bone density, hypertension, and several cancers.
Without enough calcium our bones cannot grow and repair properly. When our bones do not get the proper amount of calcium, the risk of getting osteoporosis increases significantly.  Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones and leaves them so fragile that they break easily; osteoporosis can also cause back and hip problems and may affect the spine, wrists and ribs.

Calcium is also important to keep heart muscles and nerves in good shape, so getting adequate calcium may help to avoid heart disease. New studies are showing that calcium can help lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk for several cancers such as colon and breast cancer.  A person that avoids dairy altogether because of lactose intolerance puts themselves at risk of major health issues.

It becomes important then that if you are lactose intolerant that you find a way to consume dairy, or that you find alternative ways to get adequate calcium. Dairy that has had lactose removed still contains all the calcium and other vitamins and minerals that milk with lactose has, and fermented dairy that seems to be more easily tolerated by lactose intolerant individuals, is also rich in calcium and other nutrients.

Calcium can also be obtained from many vegetables such as kale and broccoli and from oily fish with bones for those who simply cannot tolerate dairy at all.