Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026
Estrogen-Like Effect of Bazi Bushen Capsule in Ovariectomized Rats
Published on: April 7, 2023
Effect of short-chain fructooligosaccharides on intestinal calcium absorption and calcium status in postmenopausal
Maha Tahiri1, Jean C Tressol, Josiane Arnaud
1Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne, Unité Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, Centre de Recherche INRA Clermont-Ferrand/Theix, Saint Genès Champanelle, France.
Background:
An enhancing effect of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOSs) on intestinal calcium absorption has been shown in animals and in some short-term human studies. However, the long-term effect of scFOSs on calcium absorption in humans is still unknown.
Objective:
We investigated the long-term effect of a moderate daily dose (10 g) of scFOSs on intestinal calcium absorption in postmenopausal women.
Design:
In a randomized, double-blind crossover protocol, 12 healthy, postmenopausal women received scFOSs or placebo for 5 wk. The treatments were separated by a 3-wk washout period. Subjects orally received (44)Ca (stable isotope) and a fecal marker. Feces were collected after the isotope intake for 5-7 d to measure unabsorbed isotope. Calcium-status indexes, calciotropic hormones, and bone turnover were also assessed.
Results:
Mean (+/-SD) intestinal calcium absorption with scFOS treatment was not significantly different from that with placebo treatment (35.63 +/- 9.40% and 36.55 +/- 8.48%, respectively). However, a tendency for calcium absorption to be higher with scFOS treatment than with placebo treatment was observed in women who had been going through menopause for >6 y.
Conclusions:
scFOSs do not modify intestinal calcium absorption in postmenopausal women who do not receive hormonal replacement therapy. The results from a subgroup of women who had been going through menopause for >6 y (n = 6) suggest that scFOSs may influence calcium absorption in the late postmenopausal phase. The small number of subjects and the related P value warrant verification and further investigation with women in late menopause only.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
00:51Synthesis and Functions of Calcitonin
The exact mechanisms by which calcitonin operates in calcium homeostasis remain elusive, but its significance is evident in several vital...
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:31Essential Minerals for Bone Health
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...