Calcium availability in breakfast cereals: effect of other food components

• Published in: European food research & technology 2012-09, Vol.235 (3), p.489-495
• Main Authors: Aguilar, Ma. Victorina, Mateos, Carmen, Meseguer, Isabel, Martinez-Para, Ma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Analysis; Analytical Chemistry; Bile; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Breakfast foods; Calcium; Carbohydrates; Cereal and baking product industries; Cereals; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Dialysate; Dietary supplements; Digestive system; Food; Food industries; Food Science; Forestry; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrointestinal tract; Hemodialysis; Honey; Hydrochloric acid; Lipids; Oats; Original Paper; Phosphorus; Rice; Studies; Vitamins; Water
• ISSN: 1438-2377; 1438-2385
• DOI: 10.1007/s00217-012-1773-0

The breakfast cereals are among the main sources of calcium, but the other dietary components may influence on availability of this element. The purpose of this study is to establish the availability of calcium in the breakfast cereals marketed in Spain and compare the positive and negative effects of various components of these foods. The availability of calcium (expressed as % dialysed Cr) from breakfast cereals ( n  = 93) is evaluated by an in vitro method that involves a simulated human gastrointestinal digestion followed by measurement of dialysability of Ca by AAS. Dialysable Ca ranged from 0.59 to 26.21 %, with a mean value of 7.5 ± 5.88 %. Different correlations are studied between calcium and other breakfast cereal components (lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins…). Calcium dialysable is correlated significantly with total lipid and quality lipid, iron or starch ( p  = 0.0079, 0.0371, 0.0356 and 0.0115, respectively). This parameter is affected negatively by the fibre ( r  = −0.2947) and total phosphorus ( r  = −0.2426).