veganism: I always have somthing like rice cakes and a cup of tea for breakfast. But my mum keeps telling me I need calcium, this is because im vegan and well to be honast we never buy soy products because none of my family like it, I get my protein from beans/legumes and nuts etc. But im worried about calcium as I am a growing teenager and if im deficient it might be a worry. I dont want to shell out on calcium supplements plus my digestive system is a lil weak, I get indegestion and acid reflux alot, will soy milk help me get my calcium but no intefere with my digestion problem?|||I didn't eat dairy as a child - I couldn't digest it properly - and never had a calcium deficiency. Billions of people in different cultures don't eat dairy normally - Japanese, Chinese, etc. If we really needed breast milk as adults we would still be suckling on our own mothers! There is plenty of calcium in fresh foods - green leafy veges, nuts, fruit, traces of it in just about everything. The whole "you must eat dairy to get calcium" mantra is just a myth propogated by the dairy industry. Just eat real food and you'll be fine. Put some tahini or almond butter on your rice cakes and drink some fresh OJ. Chocolate flavoured soy milk is tasty - but not a great source of calcium unless it is fortified. You're better off just eating tofu which should be mild on your stomach since it is a mild food on its own without strong spices added. Maybe eat small amounts of things to find out what agrees with you.|||Try dark green vegetables like broccoli. Their are other ways to get calcium besides soy, like nuts....12 almonds is your daily calcium intake. Rice cakes and tea isn't the best start, add some fruit into the morning routine if possible. I'm not sure why you have indegestion and acid reflux, you might want to talk to your doctor about it, and try not laying down after eating. I don't think soy will play any part in it.|||I have been vegan for nearly a decade and had my calcium levels tested and have never been low. Brocolli and kale are high in calcium and in fact the calcium in dark green vegetables is easier for your body to absorb that dairy sources so you don't even need as much. If your still worried though many brands of soya milk and orange juice are fortified with calcium. Babies need milk but after weening human beings are the only species on the planet that consumes milk of another species so it doesn't make sense. This whole calcium defiency thing is for a large part a myth because dairy products have not been part of many traditional Asian diets (Chinese, Japanese) yet there are much lower incidents of osteoperosis than in Europe or North America. I believe the push on dairy products is a large result of the powerful dairy industry rather than nutritional evidence. You might consult a naturopathic doctor if you have other digestive issues.