title: Relationship between nutritional habits and hair calcium levels in young women.
abstract: The present study was conducted to investigate whether hair calcium levels are related to nutritional habits, selected status parameters, and life-style factors in young women. Eighty-five healthy female students neither pregnant nor lactating, using no hair dyes or permanents were recruited for the study. Food consumption data, including fortified products and dietary supplements were collected with 4-day records. The calcium levels in hair and serum were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Serum osteocalcin and the C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen were assayed by ELISA. The women were divided into four groups according to their total vitamin D and calcium intakes and hair calcium levels. At adequate calcium intake and comparable serum bone biomarker levels, supplemental vitamin D increased the hair calcium levels. On the other hand, at lower than estimated adequate requirement of vitamin D intake the hair calcium levels were comparable in women with low calcium intakes but consuming high amounts of meat products or those whose diets were rich in dairy products, possibly due to homeostatic mechanisms. Elevated hair calcium was seen in 25% of subjects and could not be related to nutritional or life-style factors. The results show that the hair calcium levels were weakly related to the quality of diet, with some synergistic interactions between nutrients, especially vitamin D and magnesium.
authors: Department of Human Nutrition, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 159c Nowoursynowska Str, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland. marta_jeruszka_bielak@sggw.pl
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Jeruszka-Bielak
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Brzozowska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000032:analysis; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000032:analysis; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008872:Microwaves; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000032:analysis; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012984:Software; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D024042:Collagen Type I; D015675:Osteocalcin; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium