HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zittermann, A. Articles by Stehle, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zittermann, A. Articles by Stehle, P. Agricola Articles by Zittermann, A. Articles by Stehle, P.

Lactose does not enhance calcium bioavailability in lactose-tolerant, healthy adults^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Nutrition Science, University of Bonn, Germany, and the German Aerospace Center–Institute for Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany.

Background: There is evidence from animal studies that lactose has a beneficial effect on intestinal calcium absorption. However, data concerning the effect of lactose on calcium absorption in lactose-tolerant adults are inconclusive.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the effect of lactose on calcium bioavailability in humans by the use of a stable-strontium test under controlled metabolic conditions.

Design: Eleven healthy, lactose-tolerant subjects (8 women, 3 men) randomly received a bolus of 2.27 mmol strontium alone (load A), the bolus with 35 g lactose (load B), or the bolus with 17.5 g glucose and 17.5 g galactose (load C). Blood samples were drawn at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, 180, 240, and 300 min. Urine specimens were collected during the time intervals -2 to 0, 0–2, 2–4, 4–6, and 6–24 h.

Results: Pharmacokinetic parameters of strontium bioavailability were comparable for all 3 loads. In detail, fractional absorption at 240 min for loads A, B, and C was 12.1 ± 0.7%, 13.0 ± 1.1%, and 12.2 ± 0.7%, respectively. Areas under the curve for 0–240 min were 70.8 ± 6.3, 69.6 ± 3.5, and 65.8 ± 5.1 µmol•h/L for loads A, B, and C, respectively (NS). Moreover, fractional strontium excretion values of 5.1 ± 0.8% (load A), 5.8 ± 0.4% (load B), and 5.2 ± 0.8% (load C) were not significantly different.

Conclusions: Lactose does not have a beneficial effect on calcium bioavailability in lactose-tolerant adults.

Key Words: Lactose-tolerant adults • calcium absorption • strontium test • bioavailability

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. A Abrams, I. J Griffin, and P. M Davila Calcium and zinc absorption from lactose-containing and lactose-free infant formulas Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2002; 76(2): 442 - 446. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. G. H. M. van den Heuvel, M. H. C. Schoterman, and T. Muijs Transgalactooligosaccharides Stimulate Calcium Absorption in Postmenopausal Women J. Nutr., December 1, 2000; 130(12): 2938 - 2942. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]