Calcium intake negatively related to body fat and insulin resistance in post-pubertal obese girls
Document Actions
Calcitrophic hormones (parathyroid hormone, 1,25(OH)2D3) regulate lipid storage in human adipocyte. Although dietary calcium intake has been described as a negative contributor to adiposity in adults, this relationship is not well established in adolescents. This cross-sectional analysis of 96 post-pubertal adolescents of both genders was aimed to compare calcium intake of normal-weight and obese adolescents and to evaluate its inverse relationship with adiposity and insulin sensitivity. Body composition was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, dietary intake was evaluated using a 3-day dietary record, and insulin resistance was calculated using the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). After adjusting for energy, the mean calcium intake was lower in obese than in normal weight adolescents, with only 4% of adolescents having an adequate calcium intake. In the obese group, calcium intake was inversely associated with truncal fat, insulinaemia and HOMA-IR. Moreover, girls in the highest quartile of calcium intake had decreased adiposity and increased insulin sensitivity. In conclusion, there was a negative relationship between calcium intake and body fat and insulin resistance, especially in girls, which provides another rationale for adequate dietary calcium intake in adolescence.
Abstract
