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,**
* College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada, S7N 5C9;
College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada, S7N 1M3; and
** Department of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
3To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: susan.whiting{at}usask.ca.
| ABSTRACT |
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6 mo after peak height velocity. In the 2 y of peak skeletal growth, adolescents accumulate over 25% of adult bone. BMAS data may provide biological data on calcium requirements through application of calcium accrual values to factorial calculations of requirement. As well, our data are beginning to reveal how dietary patterns may influence attainment of bone mass during the adolescent growth spurt. Replacing milk intake by soft drinks appears to be detrimental to bone gain by girls, but not boys. Fruit and vegetable intake, providing alkalinity to bones and/or acting as a marker of a healthy diet, appears to influence BMC in adolescent girls, but not boys. The reason why these dietary factors appear to be more influential in girls than in boys may be that BMAS girls are consuming less than their requirement for calcium, while boys are above their threshold. Specific dietary and nutrient recommendations for adolescents are needed in order to ensure optimal bone growth and consolidation during this important life stage.
KEY WORDS: calcium intake children adolescents calcium requirement soft drinks fruit and vegetables
Adolescence is a time of tremendous growth in height, characterized by the adolescence growth spurt, during which children gain physical, mental, and emotional maturity in a very short period of time. Our research interests have centered on how bone mineral is accrued during this time, as the development of peak bone mass during the growth years is considered an important determinant for future risk of osteoporosis in later life (13). Adequate nutrition to provide the building blocks for bone, and sufficient activity to provide the mechanical impetus for bone development, are critical factors in maximizing bone growth potential (3). Surprisingly, little is known about bone mineral accrual during adolescence as, until recently, few longitudinal studies have been undertaken to measure bone development through adolescence. Therefore, we present some of our findings to date and provide data to suggest that a healthy diet and lifestyle can lead to considerable mineral accrual through the adolescence. This gain in bone through adolescence can be used as a functional indicator for calcium requirements of adolescents.
| The Saskatchewan Bone Mineral Accrual Study (BMAS)4 |
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| BMAS subjects provide reference group data for bone accrual |
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| Bone mineral accrual in adolescent boys and girls (BMAS) |
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50 boys and girls (7). With the latter analysis, the age of maximal peak bone mineral content (BMC) velocity occurred at age 14.0 ± 1.0 y in boys and 12.5 ± 0.9 y in girls; boys gained, on average, 407 ± 92 g of bone mineral during each of the 2 y surrounding this age, while girls gained 322 ± 66 g. As more subjects are added to our analysis, we have slightly revised our calculations of age of peak bone mineral content of our BMAS cohort (Table 1). Annual growth measures plotted over time, i.e., distance curves, are useful to illustrate the rapid accumulation of bone mineral content (measured as total body) during adolescence. In Figure 1, bone gain is shown as a function of chronological age. In contrast, Figure 2shows bone gain as a function of biological age, where age of zero is the age of peak height velocity. Age of peak height velocity is the most commonly used indicator of somatic maturity in longitudinal studies. In our cohort, girls gain less bone mineral at every age, and after age of peak height velocity there is a more rapid gain in bone by boys than by girls. By age 18 y (Fig. 1) males have 22% more BMC than do females. As discussed below, this gender difference may be biological or may be a result of the higher intake of calcium (6) and/or greater activity levels of BMAS boys compared to BMAS girls (9), or both. In comparing our BMC accrual data to data from other published studies, our data are similar to those of Danish children (11).
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| Finding estimates of calcium requirement using BMC accretion |
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In setting an AI for calcium for adolescent boys and girls, the Panel for the Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium looked at 3 lines of evidence: a factorial approach, calcium retention using a nonlinear regression model, and results of clinical trials (11). The factorial calculation of calcium requirements for adolescents was for the 2 y of maximal peak bone mineral content accrual and involved summing estimates of calcium need and losses, specifically calcium retained in bone together with estimates of skin, urine, and fecal calcium losses. The values originally used for calcium retention, 212 mg for girls and 282 mg for boys, were those found by us from the cross-sectional analysis of bone mineral accrual within 2 y of peak bone mineral content accrual (4). Since that time, as indicated, we provided a more exact picture of BMC accrual using longitudinal rather than cross-sectional data (7). As shown in Table 2, estimates of calcium need during the 2 y of peak bone accretion increase to
1500 mg for girls, and 1700 mg for boys, assuming all other estimates of losses and absorption efficiency remain constant. This demonstrates that the need for calcium is greater during this 2-y window of bone accrual than previously estimated (11). However, it is important to note that subjects were consuming less dietary calcium during this time than the factorial calculation indicates was needed.
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1000 mg and 1200 mg per day for girls and boys, respectively. It should be noted that timing of peak accretion for an individual cannot be determined a priori. Therefore, public health recommendations need to cover the broad span of ages for peak accretion to cover most individuals. Further, this last calculation of mean calcium requirement assumes that every other component (i.e., losses, absorption efficiency) is valid for the entire adolescence age range. The values for losses and absorption efficiency were estimated specifically for females and measured around the time of peak bone accrual (11). In particular, the absorption efficiency for calcium will vary with stage of development. These calculations assume that vitamin D levels are adequate. Additionally, they assume equivalent absorption efficiencies of boys and girls. However, studies showing gender differences are emerging, and there are indications of differences between boys and girls handling of calcium (14). The following example, of soft drink intake and bone, illustrates this difference. | Soft drink intake affects bone accrual of girls, not boys |
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| Boys dietary needs for calcium may be different from those of girls |
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| Fruit and vegetable intake may affect bone accrual during adolescence |
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| The challenges ahead |
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Collection of BMAS continues as we add to the adolescent cohort data on subjects for whom puberty has only recently occurred. Additionally, we are measuring the subjects as young adults. With the latter measurements, we hope to be able to answer 2 important questions: what is the age of final bone mineral accrual, and is there persistence in bone mineral accrual when subjects with adequate calcium intake through childhood and adolescence no longer maintain that dietary pattern? Based on this work and that of others, age- and gender-specific dietary and nutrient recommendations for adolescents are needed in order to ensure optimal bone growth and consolidation during this important life stage.
| FOOTNOTES |
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2 Supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. ![]()
4 Abbreviations used: AI, adequate intake; BMAS, Saskatchewan Bone Mineral Accrual Study; BMC, bone mineral content; DRI, dietary reference intake. ![]()
| LITERATURE CITED |
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1. Bailey, D. A. (1999) Prevention of osteoporosis: A pediatric concern. Rippe, J. M. eds. Lifestyle Medicine 1999:578-584 Blackwell Science Malden, MA. .
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10. Institute of Medicine (2002) Dietary reference intakes: energy, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids 2002 National Academy Press Washington, DC.
11. Molgaard, C., Thomsen, B. L. & Michaelsen, K. F. (1999) Whole body bone mineral accretion in healthy children and adolescents. Arch. Dis. Child. 81:10-15.
12. Institute of Medicine (1997) Dietary reference intakes for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and fluoride 1997 National Academy Press Washington, DC.
13. Institute of Medicine (2001) Dietary reference intakes: Applications in dietary assessment 2001 National Academy Press Washington, DC.
14. Braun, M., Martin, B. R., Kern, M., McCabe, G. P., Peacock, M., Machtan, A., Liesmann, J., Kempa-Steeczko, A. & Weaver, C. M. (2003) Relationship of calcium intake and calcium retention in adolescent boys. J. Bone Miner. Res. 18:S104.
15. Whiting, S. J., Healey, A., Psiuk, S., Mirwald, R., Kowalski, K. & Bailey, D. A. (2001) Relationship between carbonated and other low nutrient dense beverages and bone mineral content of adolescents. Nutr. Res. 21:1107-1115.
16. McGartland, C., Robson, P. J., Murray, L., Cran, G., Savage, M. J., Watkins, D., Rooney, M. & Boreham, C. (2003) Carbonated soft drink consumption and bone mineral density in adolescence: the Northern Ireland Young Hearts project. J. Bone Miner. Res. 18:1563-1569.[Medline]
17. New, S., Bolton-Smith, C., Grubb, D. A. & Reid, D. M. (1997) Nutritional influences on bone mineral density: a cross-sectional study in premenopausal women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 65:1831-1839.
18. Tucker, K. L., Chen, H., Hannan, M. T., Cupples, L. A., Wilson, P.W.F. & Kiel, D. P. (1999) Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69:727-736.
19. New, S., Robins, S. P., Campbell, M. K., Martin, J. C., Garton, M. J., Bolton-Smith, C., Grubb, D. A., Lee, S. J. & Reid, D. M. (2000) Dietary influences on bone mass and bone metabolism: further evidence of a positive link between fruit and vegetable consumption and bone health?. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 71:142-151.
20. Tylavsky, F. A., Holliday, K., Danish, R., Womack, C, Norwood, J. & Carbone, L. (2004) Fruit and vegetable intake is an independent predictor of bone size in early-pubertal children. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. in press.
21. Jones, G., Riley, M. D. & Whiting, S. (2001) Association between urinary potassium, urinary sodium, current diet, and bone density in prepubertal children. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 73:839-844.
22. Canadas Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Health Canada 1992 Retrieved 05/14/2003 from: http:/www.hc-sc.gc.ca/nutrition.
23. Carter, L. M., Whiting, S. J., Drinkwater, D. T., Zello, G. A., Faulkner, R. & Bailey, D. A. (2001) Self-reported calcium intake and bone mineral content in adolescents. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 20:502-509.
24. Baxter-Jones, A.D.G., Faulkner, R. A. & Whiting, S. J. (2003) Interaction between nutrition and physical activity and skeletal health. New, S. Bonjour, J.-P. eds. Nutritional Aspects of Bone Health 2003:544-564 The Royal Society of Chemistry Cambridge, UK. Chapter 25.
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