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 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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rosado, J. L. Articles by García, O. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rosado, J. L. Articles by García, O. P.

---

Human Nutrition and Metabolism

Calcium Absorption from Corn Tortilla Is Relatively High and Is Dependent upon Calcium Content and Liming in Mexican Women

Jorge L. Rosado¹, Margarita Díaz^*, Angélica Rosas^*, Ian Griffit and Olga P. García

Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México; ^* Departamento de Fisiología de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición, México, D.F., México; Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX

¹To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jlrosado{at}avantel.net.

Corn tortillas are the staple food of Mexico. During their preparation, calcium is added to the tortillas; therefore, tortillas are the main source of calcium for a large proportion of the population. The bioavailability of calcium from lime-treated tortillas in humans is not known. The objectives of the present study were to determine calcium absorption from corn tortilla, to determine the effect of lime treatment on calcium absorption from corn tortilla, and to compare calcium absorption from tortilla prepared with a commercial corn flour and tortillas prepared with the traditional lime treatment at home. Nonpregnant, nonlactating women (n = 9) were administered 3 different treatments: 1) 180 g of corn tortilla prepared from corn flour with no lime treatment (CF), 2) 180 g of corn tortilla prepared from lime-treated commercial corn flour (LTCCF), or 3) 180 g of corn tortillas prepared from lime-treated home-prepared corn flour (LTHCF). Calcium absorption was measured using an established dual-tracer stable isotope technique. Calcium absorption of CF, LTCCF, and LTHCF was (mean ± SD): 44 ± 3.2, 32 ± 4.4, and 30 ± 2.4%, respectively; the fractional calcium absorption from CF differed from that of either LTCCF or LTHCF (P < 0.01). The total amount of calcium absorbed per treatment was higher in LTHCF (98.10 mg ± 21.7) than in LTCCF (59.9 mg ± 23.7, P < 0.001) and CF (3.78 mg ± 0.9, P < 0.0.001). In conclusion, calcium absorption from corn tortillas is high and dependent on calcium concentration. The addition of calcium during lime treatment increases calcium concentration and total calcium absorption.

KEY WORDS: • calcium absorption • tortillas • lime treatment • stable isotopes