Soluble corn fiber and bone calcium retention in postmenopausal women
What it found
Daily soluble corn fiber improved how much calcium stayed in the bones of 14 postmenopausal women.
Higher doses led to bigger improvements.
What they found
Studies in people
Calcium kept in bones
Taking 10 grams of fiber daily improved bone calcium retention by 4.8 percent. Taking 20 grams improved it by 7 percent compared with no added fiber.
Bone formation marker
A marker linked to building new bone rose by 8 percent when comparing the highest dose to no added fiber. Other markers of bone breakdown did not change.
Estimated calcium balance
The authors calculated that the extra calcium kept in bones amounted to about 50 milligrams per day.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that eating soluble corn fiber every day significantly increased the amount of calcium kept in the bones of postmenopausal women.
- Their calculations suggest this improvement added about 50 milligrams of calcium to the daily bone balance.
How it was done
Earlier work showed that soluble corn fiber helped teenagers absorb more calcium and strengthened bones in rodents. The authors wanted to see if it could help the bones of older women after menopause.
Fourteen healthy postmenopausal women took part in a blinded trial where each woman tried every dose. They consumed 0, 10, or 20 grams of fiber from soluble corn fiber each day for 50 days per dose. Researchers tracked a rare form of calcium leaving the bones through urine to measure bone loss.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Only 14 women took part, so scientists do not yet know if the results apply to all postmenopausal women or to men.
- The trial lasted 50 days per dose, so it cannot show whether these bone benefits last over many years.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Purdue University, IN; Indiana University, IN
The paper
- Title
- Soluble corn fiber increases bone calcium retention in postmenopausal women in a dose-dependent manner: a randomized crossover trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Jakeman SA, Henry CN, Martin BR, et al (2016). Soluble corn fiber increases bone calcium retention in postmenopausal women in a dose-dependent manner: a randomized crossover trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.132761PubMed 27465372DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error