DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I know women should take calcium supplements, but is it a good idea for men? What’s the difference between oyster shell calcium and other types? Which is best? – J.B.

ANSWER: Men can and do get osteoporosis. The daily recommended calcium allotment for men and women ages 31 to 50 is 1,000 mg, and for those 51 and older it is 1,200 mg. If a man or woman isn’t getting that amount through meals, then a supplement is recommended.

The two most common calcium supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Oyster shell calcium is calcium carbonate. If the label on a food or supplement gives the amount of calcium as “calcium” (no other word attached to it), that is the amount of pure calcium contained in the food. That amount is also called “elemental calcium.” It’s the number you pay attention to. If the label gives the amount of calcium as “calcium carbonate,” then the amount of pure calcium is only 40 percent of the stated weight. If it gives the weight as “calcium citrate,” the amount of pure calcium is only 21 percent of the weight. For example, a food (or supplement) that has 1,000 mg of calcium carbonate has only 40 percent of that weight as pure or elemental calcium — 400 mg. One thousand milligrams of calcium citrate has only 210 mg of pure calcium.

No more than 500 mg of calcium should be taken at any one time. More than that is not fully absorbed.

Calcium citrate is more easily absorbed than calcium carbonate. It is also more expensive. You can take calcium citrate without regard to meals. You should take calcium carbonate with meals, since it needs stomach acid for absorption. Stomach acid production is at its peak at mealtime. Either preparation gives you a sufficient amount of calcium. It’s up to you to choose one for yourself.

You don’t have to rely on supplements for your calcium needs. You can get all you need from food and drink. One cup of plain, nonfat yogurt has 350 to 400 mg; a cup of skim milk, 300; 1 ounce of cheese, 200 to 270; 3/4 cup of fortified orange juice, 225; 3 ounces of sardines with bones, 400.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: There is much publicity about the dangers of secondhand smoke, even that it is more hazardous than firsthand. No one gives an explanation. Why is it so? I am inclined to believe it is not true but just another attack on smoking. Your response would be appreciated. – C.B.

ANSWER: Most of the secondhand smoke that fills a room with a delightful odor comes from the cloud of smoke rising from a smoldering cigarette. That kind of smoke has high levels of carbon monoxide, cyanide, arsenic and nicotine tars.

When a smoker takes a puff on a cigarette, the cigarette temporarily burns at a higher temperature than it does when it is held in the hand or rests in an ashtray. Higher temperatures afford a more complete combustion of some of the cigarette’s toxic materials. Inhaled and exhaled smoke, therefore, is less dangerous to people in the immediate environment. Don’t take this to mean that a cigarette smoker enhances personal health by smoking. The smoker actually gets both firsthand and secondhand smoke.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Is it possible for a 58-year-old to develop lactose intolerance after years of drinking milk with meals? My symptoms began during the past five years. Recently I eliminated dairy products from my diet and no longer have the diarrhea. My medical reference book talks only about babies having lactose intolerance. – C.D.

ANSWER: It’s possible to develop lactose intolerance at any age.

Lactose is milk sugar. Lactase is the enzyme that breaks down lactose for digestion. A deficiency of the lactase enzyme gives rise to the condition of lactose intolerance, also spoken of as lactase deficiency.

Undigested milk sugar creates digestive tract turmoil. Diarrhea, bloating, gas and abdominal pain can result.

You can get the lactase enzyme in forms that can be added to foods or drinks, and you can also get it in dairy products that come pre-treated with lactase.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I notice that whenever I use a condom, I seem to break out with a rash on my private parts. I don’t want to have sex without using one because I am extremely afraid of sexual diseases, especially AIDS. Could the condom be causing the rashes I get? – D.S.

ANSWER: Many condoms are made of latex, and latex can initiate an allergic reaction. The answer to your question, therefore, is yes.

Ask the pharmacist for condoms that are not made with latex. You won’t have any trouble finding one.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Can decaffeinated coffee cause problems because of the way the caffeine is removed? The process leaves behind cancer-causing chemicals. Should I stop drinking decaf? – L.L.

ANSWER: Only if you want to.

In the past, methylene chloride was used to remove caffeine from coffee. In large amounts, it causes tumors in lab animals. It has never been proven to cause human cancer. Since the late ‘80s, most coffee manufacturers have stopped using methylene chloride. Those that still employ it have concentrations in their decaf coffee 100 times less than the Food and Drug Administration permits for consumption.

People have been drinking decaf for decades. If it caused cancer, surely, by now, there would be widespread reports of its danger.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

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