Meal effects on calcium absorption

Abstract

The effect of coingestion of a meal on calcium absorption efficiency was investigated using Ca carbonate, milk, and a new Ca delivery system, CCM. Six experiments with 168 rats and two experiments with 46 normal young women showed that coingestion of a light meal of varied composition enhanced absorption efficiency from all three sources by 10–30% above levels achieved when the test load was ingested without other foods. The differences taken as a whole were highly statistically significant.