Osteoporosis, Intestinal Lactase Deficiency and Low Dietary Calcium Intake

Abstract

OSTEOPOROSIS (senile and postmenopausal) is a common disorder of the elderly, with an estimated morbidity of at least 20 per cent of persons over the age of fifty years.1 2 3 Despite this high prevalence, knowledge of the disorder remains unsatisfactory. There has been increasing acceptance of the concept that the demineralization of osteoporosis is the end result of a variety of metabolic influences acting either singly or in combination on the bony skeleton. It has previously been proposed3 4 5 6 that one cause or important contributing factor in osteoporosis is a dietary deficiency of calcium. Since milk constitutes the primary source of calcium . . .