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Inulin and Oligofructose: Health Benefits and Claims-A Critical Review

Young Adolescents Who Respond to an Inulin-Type Fructan Substantially Increase Total Absorbed Calcium and Daily Calcium Accretion to the Skeleton^1–3,

U.S. Department of Agriculture/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center and Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sabrams{at}bcm.edu.

Calcium absorption and whole-body bone mineral content are greater in young adolescents who receive 8 g/d of Synergy, a mixture of inulin-type fructans (ITF), compared with those who received a maltodextrin control. Not all adolescents responded to this intervention, however. We evaluated 32 responders and 16 nonresponders to the calcium absorptive benefits of ITF. We found no differences in usual dietary calcium intakes. Responders who increased their calcium absorption by at least 3% after 8 wk of Synergy had a greater accretion of calcium to the skeleton over a year based on whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry data. The absorptive benefit to ITF use in responders is substantial and would be comparable to increasing daily calcium intake by at least 250 mg. Increased intake of ITF may be an important aspect of a multifaceted approach to enhancing peak bone mass.