Does fiber interfere with calcium absorption?
Q. Three months ago, I saw an article on the National Osteoporosis Foundation Web site (www.nof.org) that said wheat bran is the only fiber-rich food that appears to reduce calcium absorption. Since then, I’ve been avoiding wheat and wheat-bran products, eating cereal dry and drinking the milk later, skipping ham-and-cheese sandwiches, while trying to find out how much it reduces calcium absorption, how much time to allow between consuming wheat bran and calcium, etc. Can you find out more abo ut this? Also, I read that the body can absorb only 500 milligrams of calcium at a time. True? – L.B. A. You can resume pouring milk on your cereal, says Dr. Robert Heaney, a professor of medicine at Creighton University, member of the board of trustees of the NOF-and co-author of the study that showed wheat fiber interfered with calcium absorption. “The good news is, it takes a lot of wheat bran,” Heaney said, “and the interference is only partial.” The study used a full serving of pure wheat br
