Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T13:57:20.685Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Inulin, oligofructose and bone health: experimental approaches and mechanisms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Connie M. Weaver
Connie M. Weaver*
Affiliation:
Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, 700 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Connie M. Weaver, fax +1 765 494 8237, email weavercm@cfs.purdue.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Inulin-type fructans have been proposed to benefit mineral retention, thereby enhancing bone health. Many, but not all, experimental animal studies have shown increased mineral absorption by feeding non-digestible oligosaccharides. Possible reasons for inconsistencies are explored.A few studies have reported an enhanced bone mineral density or content. Bone health can be evaluated in chronic feeding studies with bone densitometry, bone breaking strength, bone mineral concentration and bone structure. Isotopic Ca tracers can be used to determine the point of metabolism affected by feeding a functional food ingredient. These methods and the effects of feeding inulin-type fructose are reviewed. Inulin-type fructans enhance Mg retention. Chicory long-chain inulin and oligofructose enhance femoral Ca content, bone mineral density and Ca retention through enhanced Ca absorption and suppressed bone turnover rates, but it is not bone-promoting under all conditions

Keywords

InulinOligofructoseBone health
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 93 , Issue S1 , April 2005 , pp. S99 - S103
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2005

References

Alekel, L St, Germain, A, Peterson, CT, Hanson, K, Stewart, JW & Toda, T (2000) Isoflavone-rich soy protein isolate alternates bone loss in the lumbar spine of perimenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 72, 844–852.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beynen, AC, Baas, JC, Hockemeijer, PE, Kappert, HJ, Bakker, MA, Koopinan, JP & Lemmens, AG (2002) Faecal lacterial profile, nitrogen excretion and mineral absorption in healthy dogs fed supplemental oligofructose. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 86, 298–305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cashman, K (2003) Pebiotics and Ca bioavailability. Curr Issues Intest Microbiol 4, 21–32.Google Scholar
Chonan, O & Watanuki, M (1995) Effect of galactoolgiosaccharides on Ca absorption in rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 41, 95–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chonan, O, Matsumoto, K & Watanki, M (1995) Effect of galactooligosaccharides on Ca absorption and preventing bone loss in ovariectomized rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 59, 236–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chonan, O, Takakashi, R & Watanuki, M (2001) Role of activity of gastrointestinal microflora in absorption of Ca and magnesium in rats fed β1-4 linked galactooligosaccharides. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 65, 1872–1875.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chonan, O & Watanuki, M (1996) The effects of 6'-galactooligosaccharides on bone mineralization of rats adapted to different levels of dietary Ca. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 66, 244–249.Google Scholar
Coudray, C, Bellanger, J, Castiglia-Delavaad, C, Rémésy, C, Vermovel, M & Ragssiguier, Y (2003) Effects of dietary fibers on magnesium absorption in animals and humans. J Nutr 133, 1–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, IJ, Davila, PM & Abrams, SA (2002) Non-digestible oligosaccharides and Ca absorption in girls with adequate Ca intake. Br J Nutr 87, S187–S191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, IJ, Hicks, PMD, Heaney, RP & Abrams, SA (2003) Enriched chicory inulin increases Ca absorption mainly in girls with lower Ca absorption. Nutr Res 23, 901–909.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heaney, RP, Weaver, CM & Fitzsimmons, ML (1990) Influence of Ca load on absorption fraction. J Bone Miner Res 5, 1135–1138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Institute of MedicineInstitute of Medicine (1997) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.Google Scholar
Kishi, K, Goda, T & Takase, S (1996) Maltitol increases transepithelial diffusional transfer of Ca in rat ileum. Life Sci 59, 1133–1140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levrat, MA, Rémésy, C & Demigné, C (1991) High propionic acid fermentations and mineral accumulation in the cecum of rats adapted to different levels of inulin. J Nutr 121, 1730–1737.Google ScholarPubMed
Martin, B, Braun, M, Wigertz, K, Wood, O, Bryant, R & Weaver, CM (2002) The effect of inulin on Ca absorption in adolescent females. J Agric Coll Nutr 21, 485 Abstr.Google Scholar
Morohashi, T, Sano, T, Ohta, A & Yamada, S (1998) True Ca absorption in intestine is enhanced by fructooligosaccharide feeding in rats. J Nutr 128, 1815–1818.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohta, A, Motohaschi, Y, Ohtsuki, M, Hirayama, M, Adachi, T & Sakuma, K (1998a) Dietary fructooligosaccharide change the concentration of calbindin-D9K differently in the mucosa of the small and large intestine of rats. J Nutr 128, 934–939.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ohta, A, Ohtsuki, M, Baba, S, Hirayama, M & Adachi, T (1998b) Comparison of the nutritional effects of fructooligosaccharides of different sugar length in rats. Nutr Res 18, 109–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohta, A, Uehara, M, Sakai, K, Takasaki, M, Adlerkreutz, H, Morobashi, T & Ishimi, Y (2002) A combination of dietary fructooligosaccharides and isoflavone conjugates increases femoral bone mineral density and equol production in ovariectomized mice. J Nutr 132, 2048–2054.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberfroid, MB, Cumps, J & Devogelaer, JP (2002) Dietary chicory inulin increases whole body bone mineral density in growing male rats. J Nutr 132, 3599–3602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scholtz-Ahrens, KE & Schrezenmeir, J (2002) Inulin oligofructose and mineral metabolism: experimental data and mechanism. Br J Nutr 87, S179–S186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taguchi, A, Ohta, A, Abe, M, Baba, S, Ohtsuki, M, Takizawa, T, Yuda, Y & Adachi, T (1994) The influence of fructooligosaccharides on the bone of model rats with ovariectomized osteoporosis. Sci Rep Meiji Seika Kaisha 33, 37–44.Google Scholar
Tahiri, M, Tressol, JC & Arnaud, Y et al. (2003) Effect of short chain fructooligosaccharides on intestinal Ca absorption and Ca status in postmenopausal women: a stable isotope study. Am J Clin Nutr 77, 449–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van den Heuvel, EG, Muys, T, van Dokhum, W & Schaafsma, G (1999) Oligofructose stimulates Ca absorption in adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr 69, 544–548.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weaver, CM (2002) Adolescence the period of dramatic bone growth. Endocrinology 17, 43–48.Google ScholarPubMed
Weaver, CM & Liebman, M (2002) Biomarkers of bone health appropriate for evaluating functional foods designed to reduce risk of osteoporosis. Br J Nutr 88, S225–S232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weaver, CM, Wastney, M & Spence, LA (2003) Quantitative clinical nutrition approaches to the study of Ca and bone metabolism. Clin Rev Bone Miner Metab 1, 219–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators (2002) Risk and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women. Principal results from the Women's Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. J Am Med Assoc 288, 321–333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zafar, TA, Weaver, CM, Jones, K, Moore, DR II & Barnes, S (2004a) Inulin and isoflavone bioavailability and its Ca absorption enhancing effect in rats. J Agric Food Chem 52, 2827–2831.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zafar, TA, Weaver, CM, Zhao, Y, Martin, BR & Wastney, ME (2004b) Nondigestible oligosaccharides increase Ca absorption and suppress bone resorption in ovariectomized rats. J Nutr 134, 399–402.Google ScholarPubMed