The Influence of Lactose on Calcium Retention in Children

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Abstract
The ability of lactose to influence the calcium retention of five little boys ranging in age from 5 to 7 years was investigated. Throughout the 13 to 16 weeks of the experiment, the children were fed a basal dietary to which CaHPO4 was added in order to raise the level of calcium intake to approximately 500 mg. daily; vitamin D also was fed. For 6 to 9 consecutive weeks an additional supplement of lactose (36 gm. daily) was given. Calcium balances were determined, and the increase in percentage retention of calcium during the lactose period was used as the criterion of the effect of lactose on calcium utilization. The values for per cent retention during the non-lactose and lactose periods, respectively, were 26.6 and 29.3 for W, 26.5 and 29.4 for D, 20.1 and 21.5 for C, 16.2 and 30.6 for Br, and 14.0 and 21.1 for Jw. Obviously, the values for the lactose period were higher in every case; they constituted gains over the retentions of the non-lactose period of 10.2, 10.9, 7.0, 88.9 and 50.7% with an average of 33.5.