Soluble corn fiber increases bone calcium retention in postmenopausal women in a dose-dependent manner: a randomized crossover trial

Background: Dietary soluble corn fiber (SCF) significantly improves calcium absorption in adolescents and the bone strength and architecture in rodent models. Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the skeletal benefits of SCF in postmenopausal women. Design: We used our novel technology of determining bone calcium retention by following the urinary appearance of Ca-41, a rare long-lived radioisotope, from prelabeled bone to rapidly and sensitively evaluate the effectiveness of SCF in reducing bone loss. A randomized order, crossover, double-blinded trial was performed in 14 healthy postmenopausal women to compare doses of 0, 10, and 20 g fiber from SCF/d for 50 d. Results: A dose-response effect was shown with 10 and 20 g fiber from SCF/d, whereby bone calcium retention was improved by 4.8% (P < 0.05) and 7% (P < 0.04), respectively. The bone turnover biomarkers N-terminal telopeptide and osteocalcin were not changed by the interventions; however, a significant increase in bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, which is a bone-formation marker, was detected between 0 and 20 g fiber from SCF/d (8%; P = 0.035). Conclusion: Daily SCF consumption significantly increased bone calcium retention in postmenopausal women, which improved the bone calcium balance by an estimated 50 mg/d.