Dietary calcium sources in disease-specific diets

Introduction: Some malabsorptive chronic diseases can influence dietary calcium intake with longterm consequences for bone tissue health. Materials and Methods: Calcium intake was evaluated using a weekly frequency questionnaire in 51 patients with celiac disease, 30 patients with cystic fibrosis, 41 patients with food allergies and 9 patients with lactose intolerance. Results: Patients with cystic fibrosis had an adequate daily calcium intake (1214±367 mg/day), whilst patients with celiac disease (769±281 mg/day), lactose intolerance (725±308 mg/day) and food allergies (884±304 mg/day) had a daily calcium intake below the recommended intake. In patients with celiac disease calcium sources were represented above all (33.1%) by drinking water, while in patients with cystic fibrosis (26.7%), food allergies (32.8%) and lactose intolerance (37.3%) the main source was dairy products. Processed foods accounted for 2.4% to 10.4% of the calcium in the diet. Conclusions: Only patients affected by cystic fibrosis, who are regularly followed by trained dieticians, took an adequate amount of calcium. This observation suggests there is a role for regular dietary advice in chronic diseases, which can positively affect food intake and nutritional status.