Calcium guards against gut infections and cancer
Calcium study
I came across this interesting press release yesterday from the recent
Australian Gastroenterology Week 2002. Sounds like further good reason for
us to keep on eating our yoghurt!
“Thursday 17 October 2002
MEDIA RELEASE
Calcium guards against gut infections and cancer
Dietary calcium may play a role in the prevention of some bacterial
infections of the gut and help prevent colon cancer, according new
international research.
Dr Roelof van der Meer, head of the nutrition group at NIZO food research
and project leader at the Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences in the
Netherlands, says animal and human studies have shown that dietary calcium
can inhibit the survival and viability of food-borne bacterial pathogens
such as salmonella and E. coli.
These organisms are a common cause of gastrointestinal infections in
affluent societies such as Australia and western Europe where they affect
about 10% of the population annually.
Addressing the Australian Gastroenterology Week conference in Adelaide
today, Dr van der Meer said prevention of these infections rather than
treatment was becoming more important because of increasing bacterial
resistance to antibiotics.
“We think calcium stimulates existing internal bacteria and they then play a
role in the defence against pathogens,” he said.
The research involved administering live low-virulence disease-causing
organisms to animals and measuring the response to calcium in terms of
survival of the bacterial pathogen and symptoms such as diarrhoea.
In human studies the calcium was administered within a normal dietary intake
range of up to 1200mg. Dr van der Meer said further research was needed to
show whether higher concentrations of calcium would provide any additional
protection.
“Recommended levels of daily calcium could be higher than 800-1200 mg/day
because the tolerance range is up to 2000-2500 mg/day with no problems.”
However he said it was probably more important at a population level to
ensure everyone was receiving the current recommended levels of intake
rather than worrying about increasing those levels.
Calcium rich dairy foods remain the most effective dietary strategy with
supplements another option.
As well as stimulating healthy gut bacteria such as lactobacillus, Dr van
der Meer said calcium affects the solubility of toxic compounds in the large
intestine.
By effectively removing cytotoxic compounds such as bile acids and
metabolites from the haem pigment in red meat, calcium can prevent damage to
the lining of the gut. Preventing that initial damage avoids the stimulation
of cell division and increased risk of colon cancer associated with
regeneration of gut mucosa.
Dr van der Meer said until recently, dietary calcium was best known for
optimising the development and maintenance of strong bones.
He said most people interested in bone health had focussed on the calcium
that was absorbed from food. However, most dietary calcium is not absorbed.
It remains within the gut where it interacts with other nutrients and
dietary components until the time it is excreted.”
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