How Babies Absorb Calcium May Help Our Seniors
Recent studies have uncovered a fascinating mechanism behind how breastfeeding infants efficiently absorb significant amounts of calcium, playing a crucial role in the development of robust and healthy bones. This groundbreaking discovery may hold the key to future treatments for conditions like osteoporosis and other bone diseases that manifest later in life.
Led by Megan Beggs, a pediatric dietitian and PhD candidate in physiology at the University of Alberta, the research sheds light on the absorption channels present in the lower two-thirds of the small intestines of breastfed infant mice. Published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the study reveals a stark contrast to adult mammals, where the majority of calcium absorption occurs in the upper part of the small intestines.
Babies undergo a remarkable process of transforming the cartilage they are born with into the 206 bones that comprise the human skeleton. To facilitate this transformation, infants require substantial amounts of calcium, particularly during the first year of life. Interestingly, this mineral deposition continues at a slower rate until approximately age 25.
The significance of understanding this infant mechanism lies in its potential implications for reversing bone-related diseases in humans. Todd Alexander, a pediatric nephrologist at the University of Alberta and the senior author of the paper, emphasizes that this understanding could be a crucial step toward developing therapeutic interventions for individuals with compromised bone health, including the elderly or sick children in neonatal intensive care who may not have had the opportunity to breastfeed.
Looking ahead, the research team plans to delve further into the mechanism, exploring its application in pigs, which share closer physiological similarities with humans than mice. Additionally, they aim to investigate the hypothesis that a hormone in breast milk regulates the channels responsible for calcium absorption. If proven true, this could open avenues for practical applications, such as extracting the active ingredient from breast milk or synthesizing it for administration as a tablet or injection.
While the practical application of these findings for humans may be several years away, the potential for a therapeutic breakthrough in bone health is promising, offering hope for improved treatments and preventative measures against conditions like osteoporosis. In the meantime, ongoing research continues to unravel the intricacies of this remarkable mechanism, bringing us one step closer to unlocking the secrets of bone development and health.
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