Fat and calcium intake in women dieters

Low-fat diets are widely recommended to treat hyperlipidemia and obesity and to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, but concern has been expressed that they may not provide adequate calcium. This study assessed the calcium intake of 247 women from Otago, New Zealand aged 50-65 y consuming a variety of diets. Calcium intake was not reduced in women consuming a lipid-lowering or weight-reducing diet compared with nondieters. Intake was also similar in women consuming < 25 - 30%, or > 33% of energy from fat, indicating that calcium intake is not specifically compromised in a low-fat diet. The mean calcium intake of 754 mg/d was, however, below that recommended, with 80% of women receiving < 1000 mg Ca/d and one-third < 600 mg. Thus, most women need to increase their calcium intake irrespective of dietary energy and fat intakes.