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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #214458
Title: Effect of prebiotic supplementation and calcium intake on body mass index

Author
item Abrams, Steven
item Griffin, Ian
item HAWTHORNE, KELI - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item Ellis, Kenneth

Submitted to: Journal of Pediatrics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2007
Publication Date: 9/1/2007
Citation: Abrams, S.A., Griffin, I.J., Hawthorne, K.M., Ellis, K.J. 2007. Effect of prebiotic supplementation and calcium intake on body mass index. Journal of Pediatrics. 151(3):293-298.

Interpretive Summary: We conducted a study looking at how prebiotics cause more bone mineral to be formed in growing adolescents. Prebiotics are carbohydrates that have functional benefits for gut health. We also measured, over a period of one year, how much weight the adolescents gained and whether their body mass index (BMI) increased. We evaluated these data and found that the adolescents who received the prebiotics had a smaller increase in their BMI and in their body fat than those who did not receive the prebiotics. This indicates that prebiotics could be helpful in maintaining a healthy body weight and BMI. Further studies should be done to see if this effect can be replicated in a controlled trial designed for that purpose.

Technical Abstract: Our objective was to assess the effects of a prebiotic supplement and usual calcium intake on body composition changes during pubertal growth. We measured anthropometry and body fat with dual-energy X-ray absorptionmetry in 97 young adolescents who were randomized to receive either a daily prebiotic supplement or maltodextrin (control) for 1 year. Subjects who received the prebiotic supplement had a smaller increase in body mass index (BMI) compared with the control group (BMI difference 0.52 +/- 0.16 kg/m**2, P = .016), BMI Z-score (difference 0.13 +/- 0.06, P = .048) and total fat mass (difference 0.84 +/- 0.36 kg, P = .022). The prebiotic group maintained their baseline BMI Z-score (0.03 +/- 0.01, paired t test, P = .30), although BMI Z-score increased significantly in the control group (0.13 +/- 0.03, P < .001). In considering subjects whose usual calcium intake was greater than or equal to 700 mg/d, those who received the prebiotic supplement had a relative change in BMI that was 0.82 kg/m**2 less than control subjects (P < .01), and BMI Z-score that was 0.20 less than control subjects (P = .003). Differences tended to be maintained 1 year after supplementation was stopped.Prebiotic supplementation and avoidance of a low calcium intake can have significant effects in modulating BMI and other body composition changes during puberty.