Mineral balance of women fed oat bran or karaya gum

Includes bibliographical references (pages [75]-86)This study examined the effects of two sources of soluble fiber on the apparent balance of calcium, copper, and zinc among 12 adult free-living women who served as their own control for 4 weeks. Five subjects consumed products made with 10 g karaya gum and 7 subjects consumed 80.5 g oat bran in the form of 3 muffins and 1 serving of hot cereal. Each subject consumed her usual diet for one week (control period). During week 2, fiber products were gradually introduced into their normal diets replacing appropriate equivalent exchanges to prevent changes in caloric intake. During weeks 3 and 4, each subject consumed the entire amount of fiber products. Diet diaries and 24-hour urinary and fecal collections were obtained for three days during each period. Nutrient intakes were calculated using Nutritionist III, a microcomputer nutrient analysis program. All urine and fecal samples were analyzed for calcium, copper, and zinc using a DCP-Spectraspan V emission spectrophotometer. After eating karaya gum products, significant increases in fecal calcium and zinc excretions (p<.05) were observed, although apparent balances were not decreased significantly. Apparent calcium retention improved in the oat bran group, and was significantly higher than that of the karaya gum group, although the karaya gum group had a significantly greater calcium balance compared to the oat bran group during the control period. Apparent copper and zinc retention were reduced in both groups after fiber intake. These results suggest that the addition of karaya gum to a basal diet may adversely affect calcium, copper, and zinc apparent balances by increasing fecal excretion while oat bran may affect apparent retention of copper and zinc negatively.M.S. (Master of Science