In the UK, starch contributes up to 25 % of energy intake in adults (). The present study investigated the acute response to a starchy meal on whole-body glucose metabolism and assessed insulin sensitivity in men compared with women. Low insulin sensitivity has been postulated to pre-dispose individuals to a cluster of associated abnormalities known to increase the risk of CHD. Metabolic responses to a 13C-labelled meal were determined in conjunction with a primed continuous infusion of D-[6,6-2H]glucose in groups of healthy age- and BMI-matched men and women. Peripheral plasma glucose disposal (Gd) was computed using non-steady state kinetics in a single compartment model, simultaneously with determination of whole-body net glucose oxidation by indirect calorimetry. Insulin sensitivity was derived using cumulative Gd as the dependent variable, and time and the integrated insulin concentration as independent variables. The female group had the higher fractional rate of glucose appearance in plasma from starch (P=0·019) immediately after ingestion. Females also had a higher rate of plasma Gd and a significantly higher insulin-dependent Gd (6·8 v. 5·6 μg glucose/(min.kg) per pmol insulin, P<0·05) compared with the males. A smaller absolute pool of endogenous glucose in females allowed the rate of exogenous 13CO2 production to be significantly higher in the females (P=0·007) corresponding also to a significantly higher (P<0·05) carbohydrate oxidation rate obtained by indirect calorimetry. The present study suggests that during the ingestion of a starchy meal, females exhibit higher glucose flux and greater whole-body insulin sensitivity than males.

According to a 4×4 Latin square design, four adult ovariectomised sows fed at a similar energy level (516 kJ ME/kg body weight (BW)0·75 per d) received one of four diets successively: a control low-dietary-fibre (DF) diet (diet C, 100 g total DF/kg DM) and three fibre-rich diets (200 g total DF/kg DM) that corresponded to a combination of diet C and maize bran (diet MB), wheat bran (diet WB), or sugar-beet pulp (diet SBP). Sows were adapted to the diet for 12 d before an 8 d measurement period. Digestibility of energy and nutrients in the diets, and total heat production (HP) and its components (fasting HP, activity HP and thermic effect of feeding (TEF), were measured. The TEF was partitioned between a short-term component (TEFst) and a long-term component (TEFlt). Total tract digestibility of nutrients and energy was greater for diet C; among the three other diets, the digestibility coefficients were higher for diet SBP than for diets MB and WB. Energy losses from CH4 were linearly related to the digestible total DF intake (+1·4 kJ/g). Fasting HP at zero activity averaged 260 kJ/kg BW0·75 per d. Activity HP represented 20 % total HP, or 83 kJ/kg BW0·75 per d on average. Total TEF and TEFlt were higher (P<0·05) for diet WB than for the other diets. However, total HP (406 kJ/kg BW0·75 per d) was not significantly affected by diet characteristics. Our results suggest that metabolic utilisation of dietary energy is little affected by the addition and origin of DF, at least under the conditions of the present study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary oxysterols on coronary atherosclerosis and vasospasm. Golden Syrian hamsters were fed three diets with different lipid contents for 3 months: (1) a normolipidaemic diet containing 25 g corn oil–fish oil (4:1, w/w)/kg (group Low L); (2) a hyperlipidaemic diet composed of the normolipidaemic diet supplemented with 150 g lard+30 g cholesterol/kg (group High L); (3) a third diet, similar to the hyperlipidaemic diet, in which 4 g cholesterol/kg was replaced by a mixture of oxysterols (group High L+OS). The oxysterol mixture contained (g/kg): 5,6α-epoxycholesterol 211, 5,6β-epoxycholesterol 179, 7α-hydroxycholesterol 67, 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7βOH) 185, 7-ketocholesterol (7 K) 235; and trace amounts of 7-hydroperoxycholesterols (approximately 30 g/kg). Atherosclerosis was evaluated by measuring myocardial Ca, oxysterols and acyl-CoA cholesterol acyl transferase (ACAT) activity; furthermore, coronary reactivity to sodium nitroprusside (5×10-6 m) was measured and the morphology of coronary arteries was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Coronary spasm was determined by evaluating reactivity to serotonin (5×10-6 m). Feeding the high-lipid diet (group High L) increased the plasma level of 7βOH, 7 K and cholestanetriol. The presence of oxysterols in the diet (group High L+OS) further increased the concentrations of 7βOH and 7 K in the plasma. However, as evidenced by myocardial Ca, ACAT activity and coronary reactivity to sodium nitroprusside, severe atherosclerosis did not develop during the 3-month diet. 7 K was increased in myocardial lipids of groups High L and High L+OS. Electron microscopy did not show the development of atherosclerosis in group High L, whereas vascular wall thickening, endothelial damage and smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration occurred when oxysterols were present in the food. Serotonin (5×10-6 m) induced exacerbated coronary vasoconstriction in group High L that was completely reversed by dietary oxysterols. In conclusion, dietary oxysterols exhibit anti-spasmodic properties, but they cannot be used as agents against excess dietary lipid-induced coronary spasm because of their atherogenic properties.

Calcium accounts for 1–2 % of adult human body weight. Over 99 % of total body Ca is found in the teeth and bones. Therefore, in addition to the obvious structural role of the skeleton, it also serves as a reservoir for Ca. Dietary Ca intake has an important impact on bone metabolism and bone health. Chronic Ca deficiency resulting from inadequate intake or poor intestinal absorption is one of several important causes of reduced bone mass and osteoporosis. It is vital, therefore, that adequate dietary Ca is consumed at all stages of life — in early life so that the genetically programmed peak bone mass can be reached and in later adulthood so that the skeletal mass can be maintained and age-related bone loss minimised. Unfortunately, there is wide variation in the estimates of daily Ca requirements made by different expert authorities. Furthermore, there is evidence that many individuals are not consuming these recommended levels. The consequence of this for bone health will be discussed in the present review. Besides the amount of Ca in the diet, the absorption of dietary Ca in foods is also a critical factor in determining the availability of Ca for bone development and maintenance. Thus, there is a need to identify food components and/or functional food ingredients that may positively influence Ca absorption in order to ensure that Ca bioavailability from foods can be optimised. This approach may be of particular value in individuals who fail to achieve the dietary recommended level of Ca.

The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between spontaneous meal initiations and blood glucose dynamics in overweight male subjects in negative energy balance. In a randomized crossover design, fifteen overweight male subjects (BMI 28·6 (SD 1·8 kg/m2) participated in three treatments, each of which consisted of 2 weeks consuming a low-energy diet followed by a test of voluntary food ingestion in the absence of time-related cues. The low-energy diet consisted of three daily meals (947 kJ) which were either semi-solid with or without 2·5 g guar gum, or solid, and a dinner of subject's own choice. During the time-blinded test, on the first, second, and third meal initiation subjects ingested a low-energy meal corresponding to that used during the preceding weeks. Changes in blood glucose were monitored on-line. Associations between spontaneous meal initiations and blood glucose dynamics were determined using the χ2 test. No difference was found between treatments in the occurrence of postabsorptive and postprandial declines in blood glucose or in associations between meal initiations and blood glucose dynamics. Postprandial dynamic blood glucose declines were associated with meal initiation (χ2 26·8, P<0·001), but postabsorptive and postprandial transient declines were not. In overweight subjects, the usual association between transient declines and spontaneous meal initiation was completely absent in negative energy balance.

The metabolizable energy content of low-digestible carbohydrates does not correspond with their true energy value. The aim of the present study was to determine the tolerance and effects of two polyols on digestion and energy expenditure in healthy men, as well as their digestible, metabolizable and net energy values. Nine healthy men were fed for 32 d periods a maintenance diet supplemented either with dextrose, Lycasin®HBC (Roquette Frères, Lestrem, France), or the hydrogenated polysaccharide fraction of Lycasin®HBC, at a level of 100 g DM/d in six equal doses per d according to a 3×3 Latin square design with three repetitions. After a 20 d progressive adaptation period, food intake was determined for 12 d using the duplicate meal method and faeces and urine were collected for 10 d for further analyses. Subjects spent 36 h in one of two open-circuit whole-body calorimeters with measurements during the last 24 h. Ingestion of the polyols did not cause severe digestive disorders, except excessive gas emission, and flatulence and gurgling in some subjects. The polyols induced significant increases in wet (+45 and +66 % respectively, P<0·01) and dry (+53 and +75 % respectively, P<0·002) stool weight, resulting in a 2 % decrease in dietary energy digestibility (P<0·001). They resulted also in significant increases in sleeping (+4·1 %, P<0·03) and daily energy expenditure (+2·7 and +2·9 % respectively, P<0·02) compared with dextrose ingestion. The apparent energy digestibility of the two polyols was 0·82 and 0·79 respectively, their metabolizable energy value averaged 14·1 kJ/g DM, and their net energy value averaged 10·8 kJ/g DM, that is, 35 % less than those of sucrose and starch.

Ca may interfere with fat and cholesterol metabolism through formation of insoluble soaps with fatty and bile acids in the intestine. In the present study, we examined the effects of different dietary Ca levels on the serum lipid profile and cholesterol metabolism in obese Zucker rats fed a low-fat diet. We also tested whether dietary Ca interfered with the lipid-lowering effects of a pine oil-derived plant sterol mixture. Increase in dietary Ca intake from 0·2 to 0·8 %, and further to 2·1 % (w/w) dose-dependently decreased serum total cholesterol (r -0·565, P=0·002, n 27), LDL-cholesterol (r -0·538, P=0·006, n 25), and triacylglycerol (r -0·484, P=0·014, n 25) concentrations, and increased HDL-cholesterol (r 0·478, P=0·016, n 25) and HDL : LDL cholesterol (r 0·672, P<0·001, n 25) in rats fed a 1 % cholesterol diet. Analysis of serum campesterol : cholesterol and sitosterol : cholesterol suggested that Ca dose-dependently increased intestinal cholesterol absorption (r 0·913, P<0·001, n 18), whereas serum desmosterol : cholesterol and lathosterol : cholesterol indicated that Ca dose-dependently increased endogenous cholesterol synthesis (r 0·691, P=0·003, n 18). Therefore, the decrease of serum LDL-cholesterol appeared to be due to Ca-induced increase in the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. The increase in Ca intake did not interfere with the beneficial effects of plant sterols on serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol concentrations. The high-Ca diet with plant sterol supplementation further increased the HDL-cholesterol concentration and HDL : LDL cholesterol. The present findings indicate that the beneficial effects of dietary Ca on the serum lipid profile during a low-fat diet are dose-dependent, and resemble those of bile acid sequestrants. Increased dietary Ca did not impede the lipid-lowering effects of natural plant sterols.

Numerous investigations performed in animal models in the past 10 years have shown repeatedly that non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDO), such as inulin, oligofructose or transgalacto-oligosaccharides (TOS), stimulate mineral absorption, mainly calcium and magnesium. Long-term beneficial effects on bone health have been indicated by accumulation of bone mineral content in growing rats or prevention of bone loss in ovariectomized rats. However, bone mineral content or density are not necessarily associated with bone quality. In recent studies both oligofructose and calcium prevented loss of trabecular bone area induced by oestrogen deficiency, this, however, occurred at different trabecular shapes. The effects of NDO on mineral metabolism may be based on the enhancement of passive and active mineral transport across the intestinal epithelium, mediated by an increase in certain metabolites of the intestinal flora and a reduction of pH. The possible impact of short-chain fatty acids, butyrate in particular, and of polyamines on the stimulation of mineral absorption capacity, and the interaction of oligofructose and antibiotics is discussed.

Lead is a ubiquitous heavy metal and its toxicity remains an important public health issue. In previous work, we reported that ingestion of rhamnogalacturonan-II dimer (dRGII), a pectic polysaccharide, may decrease intestinal absorption and status of Pb in rats. Here, we evaluated the potential detoxifying effect of different doses of dRGII after chronic oral Pb exposure in rats. For this purpose, six groups of ten male Wistar rats weighing 150 g were treated as follows: group A received a semi-purified control diet for 6 weeks; groups B, C, D, E and F received the same diet plus 3 mg Pb (as acetate) for 3 weeks. Group B was then killed. Groups C, D, E, and F continued to receive the semi-purified control diet containing 0, 2, 6 or 18 g dRGII/kg diet for 3 additional weeks. During the last 5 d, a Pb conventional balance study was performed. Rats were then anaesthetized and tissues were sampled for Pb and essential minerals assay. The results showed that residual Pb in the added dRGII was not available for absorption. However, the added dRGII failed to induce any significant increase in faecal or urinary Pb excretion. Consequently, at the end of the study the intestinal Pb absorption and balance remained unchanged in the animals receiving the different doses of dRGII. In line with this, we showed that dRGII administration was not effective in decreasing tibia or kidney Pb levels in rats. In conclusion, Pb complexed by dRGII in fruits and vegetables and fruit juice is thus mostly unavailable for intestinal absorption. However, the addition of dRGII after chronic Pb exposure does not help Pb detoxification.

The effect of dietary vitamin E on immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody production, which acts as the first line of defence at the intestinal mucosa, has not been evaluated in chickens. In the present study the impact of the inclusion of supplementary levels of vitamin E to the diet, on total and antigen-specific IgA antibody titres, T-cell subsets and Ia+ cells, was assessed. From hatching, chickens received a maize-based diet which was supplemented with either 25, 250, 2500 or 5000 mg dl-α-tocopherol acetate/kg. Primary immunisation with tetanus toxoid (T. toxoid) emulsified in a vegetable oil-in-water adjuvant was administered by the intraperitoneal route at 21 d of age. At 35 d of age all birds received an oral booster vaccination of T. toxoid. Significantly higher total IgA antibody titres were present in the day 42 intestinal scrapings of birds receiving the 5000 mg/kg vitamin E-supplemented diet (VESD) (P=0·05) and a notable increase was observed in birds receiving the 250 mg/kg VESD (P=0·06). At days 21 and 42 total serum IgA antibody titres of birds receiving the 250 mg/kg VESD was significantly higher (P<0·05) than the control birds. Following immunisation with T. toxoid, birds receiving the 250 and the 5000 mg/kg VESD had elevated anti-T. toxoid IgA antibody titres in final day intestinal scrapings, which, for the latter group was statistically significant (P=0·02). Both of these groups also demonstrated increased titres of anti-T. toxoid IgA in the serum at day 42. Birds receiving the 250 mg/kg VESD exhibited a notable increase in the percentage of T-helper cells and Ia+ cells in peripheral blood on day 26. The results illustrate the potential for some levels of dietary vitamin E supplementation to act as an immunomodulator of total and antigen-specific IgA antibody.

The role of the placenta in controlling the supply of fatty acids to the fetus was investigated in term placentas from non-smokers (n 5), smokers (>ten cigarettes/d; n 5) and after addition of ethanol at 2 mg/ml (n 4). The maternal side was of the placenta was perfused ex vivo for 90 min with a physiological mixture of fatty acids and fatty acid:human albumin ratio. There was no effect of smoking on the transfer of linoleic (LA, 18 : 2 n-6), α-linolenic (αLN, 18 : 3 n-3), arachidonic (AA, 20 : 4 n-6) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 : 6 n-3), expressed per perfused area (calculated from H218O exchange). However, the presence of ethanol in the perfusate at a concentration of 2 mg/ml significantly reduced (P<0·01) the absolute rate of transfer of the two n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, αLN and DHA. This specific effect of ethanol on αLN and DHA also resulted in an altered selectivity for transfer of individual fatty acids. In the non-smoking control group the placenta selectively transferred polyunsaturated fatty acids to the fetus in the order DHA>AA>αLN>LA. The order of selectivity was unaltered in placentas from smokers, but the addition of ethanol to the perfusion medium altered the order of selectivity to AA>αLN>LA>DHA. The presence of ethanol in the perfusate was also associated with a significant reduction (P<0·05) in the clearance of H218O. These results suggest that the presence of ethanol at a concentration of 2 mg/ml may reduce the availability of polyunsaturated fatty acids to the developing fetus.

Besides being an indispensable amino acid for protein synthesis, arginine (Arg) is also involved in a number of other physiological functions. Available data on the quantitative requirement for Arg in different teleosts appear to show much variability. So far, there are very limited data on the maintenance requirements of indispensable amino acids (IAA) in fish. In the present study, we compared N and Arg requirements for maintenance and growth of four finfish species: rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), turbot (Psetta maxima), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Groups of fish having an initial body weight close to 5–7 g were fed semi-purified diets containing graded levels of N (0 to 8 % DM) and Arg (0 to 3 % DM) over 4 to 6 weeks. For each species, N and Arg requirements for maintenance and for growth were calculated regressing daily N gain against daily N or Arg intakes. N requirement for maintenance was estimated to be 37·8, 127·3, 84·7 and 45·1 mg/kg metabolic body weight per d and 2·3, 2·2, 2·6 and 2·5 g for 1 g N accretion, in rainbow trout, turbot, gilthead seabream and European seabass respectively. The four species studied appear to have very low or no dietary Arg requirements for maintenance. Arg requirement for g N accretion was calculated to be 0·86 g in rainbow trout and between 1·04–1·11 g in the three marine species. Turbot required more N for maintenance than the other three species, possibly explaining its reputedly high overall dietary protein requirement. Data suggest a small but sufficient endogenous Arg synthesis to maintain whole body N balance and differences between freshwater and marine species as regards Arg requirement. It is worth verifying this tendency with other IAA.

Results of population studies suggest that black tea can reduce cardiovascular risk. Effects of black-tea polyphenols to reduce platelet aggregability may help to explain any benefits. Given that black tea is often consumed with and after meals, and man spends much of his life in the postprandial state, the objective of the present study was to investigate the acute effects of ingestion of black tea on postprandial platelet aggregation ex vivo. Twenty healthy participants had platelet aggregation and blood lipids assessed before and 4 h after the ingestion of 50 g dairy fat on two occasions in random order, corresponding to black tea or hot water. Black tea or hot water (one cup) was consumed immediately following the dairy fat, then after 1·5 and 3·0 h. Platelet aggregation ex vivo was assessed in platelet-rich plasma in response to three concentrations of collagen (0·2, 0·6, 2·0 μg/ml) and ADP (2, 4, 8 μM). Urinary concentrations of 4-O-methylgallic acid were used as an indicator that tea polyphenols were absorbed. Serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations increased significantly 4 h after ingesting the dairy fat, but there was no significant difference between black tea and hot-water treatments on the cholesterol or triacylglycerol responses. Urinary 4-O-methylgallic acid concentrations were significantly increased following ingestion of black tea (P=0·0001) but not water. Black tea in comparison to hot water did not inhibit collagen or ADP-induced postprandial platelet aggregation. The results of this study do not support the suggestion that reduced postprandial platelet aggregability contributes to any benefits of black tea on cardiovascular risk.

The underlying mechanisms for the detrimental consequences of a high-fructose diet in animal models are not clear. However, the possibility exists that fructose feeding facilitates oxidative damage. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess, in weaning rats, the effect of a high-sucrose diet v. starch diet for 2 weeks on oxidative stress variables. Plasma lipid levels were measured and lipid peroxidation was evaluated by urine and plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The susceptibilities of several tissues to peroxidation were determined in tissue homogenates after in vitro lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant defence variables were evaluated by measuring plasma and heart vitamin E levels, and heart superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities. Higher plasma triacylglycerol (P<0·01) and TBARS (P<0·01) levels were found in rats fed the sucrose diet as compared with the starch-fed group, whereas plasma α-tocopherol levels were significantly decreased in the sucrose-fed group compared with the starch-fed group (P<0·01). Higher urine TBARS (P<0·01) were found in the sucrose-fed group compared with the starch-fed group, suggesting increased production of these substances from lipid peroxidation in vivo. Higher susceptibility to peroxidation in heart, thymus and pancreas was also found in the sucrose-fed group v. the starch-fed group. No statistical differences were observed for liver TBARS level between the two groups. Heart SOD activity was significantly decreased (P<0·001) in the sucrose-fed group compared with the starch-fed group, whereas heart vitamin E level and GPX activity were not different between the groups. However, the in vitro generation of superoxide radical in heart homogenate, measured by electron spin resonance detection and spin trapping, was not increased in the sucrose-fed group compared with starch-fed rats. Altogether, the results indicate that a short-term consumption of a high-sucrose diet negatively affects the balance of free radical production and antioxidant defence in rats, leading to increased lipid susceptibility to peroxidation.

The present study was designed to compare the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomeric distribution pattern in the liver of suckling rats in relation to those in the milk and maternal diet. Silver-ion HPLC was used to separate individual CLA isomers. It was found that the isomeric distribution pattern in the milk was very similar to that in the maternal dietary fat. However, the CLA isomeric distribution patterns in the liver phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerols were different from those in the diet and milk. In the liver PL, total cis/trans isomers accounted for 63·6–63·9 % of total CLA, which was in contrast to the values of 88·1–89·1 % in the milk and diet. In the liver PL, total trans/trans isomers were 20·6–20·8 % of the total CLA isomers whereas they were only 2·6–3·7 % in the milk and diet. It is concluded that trans/trans-CLA were preferentially incorporated into the liver whereas for the incorporation of cis/trans-CLA there was partial discrimination.

Epidemiological evidence links high intake of ascorbic acid (AA) and other antioxidant micronutrients to health promotion. It would be useful to know the overall, or ‘total’ antioxidant capacity of foods, to establish the contribution of AA to this, and to assess how this information may translate into dietary intakes to meet the new US daily reference intake for AA. In this study, the total antioxidant capacity, as the ferric reducing–antioxidant power (FRAP) value, and AA content of thirty-four types of fruits and vegetables were measured using a modified version of the FRAP assay, known as FRASC. This measures AA (reduced form only) simultaneously with the FRAP value. Results covered a wide range: 880–15 940 μmol/kg fresh wet weight and <20–540 mg/kg fresh wet weight respectively, for FRAP and AA, which comprised <1–73 % and <1–59 % total antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables respectively. We estimate that 100 mg AA is contained in one orange, a few strawberries, one kiwi fruit, 1–2 slices of pineapple, several florets of raw cauliflower or a handful of uncooked spinach leaves. Apples, bananas, pears and plums, the most commonly consumed fruits in the UK, contain very little AA. Results indicate also that the antioxidant capacity of vegetables decreases rapidly and significantly after fragmentation. Results of this, and future studies, using FRASC as a biomonitoring tool will be useful in food production, preparation, preservation, and aid dietary choices to increase antioxidant and AA intake. Furthermore, FRASC will facilitate bioavailability studies of antioxidants from different foods of known antioxidant capacity and AA content.

Pancreatic islets were isolated from rats that had been nursed by dams fed with a control or an 8·7 % protein diet during the first 12 d of the lactation period. Glucose-induced insulin secretion from islets in the 8·7 % protein group was reduced 50 %. The islet insulin and DNA content were similar, whereas the pancreatic insulin content was reduced by 30 % in the rats fed 8·7 % protein. In order to elucidate the mechanism responsible for the attenuation of insulin secretion, measurements were performed of the activity of several islet enzymes that had previously been supposed to be involved in the coupling of glucose stimulation to insulin secretion. Islet glucose oxidation was unaffected, but glucose-stimulated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol was reduced by one-third in the islets of rats fed 8·7 % protein. The activity of mitochondrial glycerophosphate dehydrogenase was similar in islets of rats fed the 8·7 % protein diet and those fed the control diet. The activity of Ca-independent phospholipase A2 was increased fourfold in the islets of rats fed 8·7 % protein. It is concluded that impairment of glucose-induced insulin secretion in rats fed a low-protein diet may be caused by attenuation of islet phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis, and it is tentatively suggested that the increased activity of Ca-independent phospholipase A2 in islets of rats fed a low-protein diet may participate in the stimulation of apoptosis.

Non-digestible oligosaccharides such as inulin and oligofructose have been shown to consistently increase calcium absorption in experimental animals, but data in humans are less clear-cut. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of 8 g/d of oligofructose or a mixture of inulin and oligofructose on calcium absorption in girls at or near menarche. A total of fifty-nine subjects were studied using a balanced, randomized, cross-over design. They received, in random order, 8 g/d placebo (sucrose), oligofructose or the mixture inulin+oligofructose for 3 weeks, separated by a 2-week washout period. Throughout the study, subjects consumed a total of approximately 1500 mg/d dietary calcium, by adding two glasses of calcium-fortified orange juice to their diet. Four grams of placebo, oligofructose or the mixture inulin+oligofructose was added to each glass of orange juice immediately before it was consumed. At the end of each 3-week adaptation period, calcium absorption was measured, using a dual stable isotope technique, from the cumulative fractional excretion of an oral and an intravenous tracer over 48 hours. Calcium absorption was significantly higher in the group receiving the inulin+oligofructose mixture than in the placebo group (38·2±9·8 % v. 32·3±9·8 %; P=0·01), but no significant difference was seen between the oligofructose group and the placebo group (31·8±9·3 % v. 31·8±10·0 %, P=NS). We conclude that modest intakes of an inulin+oligofructose mixture increases calcium absorption in girls at or near menarche.