A year-long trial suggests soluble corn fibre could help calcium-deprived children and teenagers increase bone mineral content, though researchers say effects may depend on the type and dose of fibre.
Researchers at Florida International University say a simple source of fibre may do more than support digestion: it could also help children and teenagers build stronger bones at a time when much of lifelong bone mass is being laid down. The work centres on adolescence, when the body forms most of the bone it will rely on later in life, making adequate calcium intake especially important, according to the university article.
Palacios, who leads FIU’s department of dietetics and nutrition, said people often think osteoporosis is a disease of old age, even though the foundations are set much earlier. Current guidance calls for adolescents to consume 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day, roughly the amount found in four servings of dairy, yet the article says most fall short, with many girls and boys failing to meet that target. The concern is that low calcium intake during puberty can limit peak bone mass, leaving less reserve as people age.
To test whether fibre might help the body make better use of the calcium it does consume, Palacios and her colleagues ran a year-long trial in children aged nine to 14 who were not getting enough calcium. The participants kept their usual diets and took either a soluble corn fibre powder or a matching placebo twice a day. The team measured bone mineral content at the start of the study, after six months and again at 12 months using DEXA scans, a standard technique for assessing bone density.
That approach fits with earlier research suggesting soluble corn fibre can improve calcium absorption. A study in The Journal of Nutrition found that 12 grams a day increased calcium uptake in adolescent girls, while also altering the gut microbiome in a way that may support better absorption. Another trial, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that a prebiotic inulin-type fructan mixture improved calcium absorption and bone mineralisation over a year in young adolescents. More recently, the MetA-Bone randomised clinical trial reported that soluble corn fibre supplementation increased bone mineral content and density over one year, reinforcing the idea that some forms of dietary fibre may play a role in skeletal development. At the same time, not all fibre studies point in the same direction: older research in young men found a high-fibre diet reduced calcium absorption efficiency, even though it did not appear to worsen bone density, suggesting the effect may depend on the type of fibre, the dose and the age of the participant. A separate analysis of NHANES data published in Sci Prog also found that higher dietary fibre intake was associated with greater total body bone mineral density in adolescents.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
