Milk and dairy foods have long been considered the best source of calcium in the American diet, accounting for about 70 percent of the calcium consumption in this country. But soy milk has enjoyed favorable press recently as a calcium alternative to dairy products. Grocery store shelves now boast a selection of plain and flavored soy milks, often placed side by side with their dairy counterparts.
Labels indicate that a serving of soy milk has as much calcium as cow s milk.
But the amount of calcium salts added is not regulated and may vary from 80 to 500 milligrams a serving. Yes, soy milk contains the same amount of calcium as cow s milk, but you have to drink more of it to get the same benefits. It would take 500 milligrams of TCP calcium in an 8-ounce serving of fortified soy milk to equal the calcium in a glass of cow s milk. Calcium has many health benefits. It helps to build strong bones, thereby reducing the risk for osteoporosis later in life.