Calcium supplementation and plasma ferritin concentrations in premenopausal women

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 1045 - 1048
• Main Authors: Sokoll, LJ, Dawson-Hughes, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.12.1992; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Adolescent; Adult; binding proteins; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood plasma; CALCIO; CALCIUM; Calcium - administration & dosage; calcium carbonate; dietary mineral supplements; Female; FEMME; FER; Ferritin; Ferritins; Ferritins - blood; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GLOBULINAS; GLOBULINE; Hematocrit; hemoglobin; HEMOGLOBINA; HEMOGLOBINE; Hemoglobins; Hemoglobins - metabolism; HIERRO; Humans; INSTRUMENT DE MESURE; INSTRUMENTOS DE MEDICION; iron; Iron - blood; MASSACHUSETTS; metabolism; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; METALLOPROTEINE; METALPROTEINAS; Middle Aged; MINERALES; MINERAUX; MUJERES; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; Random Allocation; supplementation; transferrin; Transferrin - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Water and mineral metabolism. Osmoregulation. Acidobasic balance; women; Massachusetts; supplementation; iron; calcium carbonate; Ferritin; Human; Calcium; Premenopause; Sex; Adult; Exploration; Female; Iron; Supplemented diet; Metabolism; Blood
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/56.6.1045

The effect of calcium supplement use on iron stores was examined in a randomized controlled study in free-living, healthy, premenopausal women. Of 109 women who completed the study, 52 were in the control group and 57 took two tablets containing 250 mg Ca as the carbonate with each of two meals daily for 12 wk. In all subjects at baseline, plasma ferritin concentrations were positively correlated with heme-iron intake (r = 0.21, P = 0.04), serum iron concentration (r = 0.19, P = 0.04), transferrin saturation (r = 0.31, P = 0.001), and hemoglobin concentration (r = 0.22, P = 0.02), and negatively correlated with total iron-binding capacity (TIBC, r= −0.42, P < 0.001). No significant differences in absolute or percent changes in plasma ferritin concentrations, serum iron concentrations, TIBC, transferrin saturation, hemoglobin concentrations, or hematocrit were observed between the treatment and control groups. Thus, over a 12-wk period, use of 1000 mg Ca as the carbonate daily with meals does not appear to be detrimental to iron stores in healthy, free-living, premenopausal women.