Wheat Bran and Calcium Absorption
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by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
A reader asked if the wheat bran that she adds to her breakfast oatmeal could interfere with calcium absorption from the calcium-fortified soymilk she also puts on her oatmeal.
The short answer is, “yes.” Wheat bran, specifically, has a strong effect on how much calcium is absorbed from the meal which includes wheat bran (1, 2). This is not the case for whole-wheat bread or other whole grain products. These do not appear to interfere with calcium absorption (1).
From a practical standpoint, this wheat bran effect may not have a huge impact on one’s calcium status. If the only major calcium source at breakfast is 4 ounces of calcium-fortified soymilk and the other meals of the day supply plenty of calcium, not absorbing the calcium from the soymilk at breakfast does not seem terribly concerning. It would be prudent to not use calcium supplements at the same meal where wheat bran is eaten.
References
- Weaver CM, Heaney RP, Martin BR, et al. Human calcium absorption from whole-wheat products. J Nutr. 1991;121(11):1769-1775.
- Weaver CM, Heaney RP, Teegarden D, et al. Wheat bran abolishes the inverse relationship between calcium load size and absorption fraction in women. J Nutr. 1996;126(1):303-307.
To read more about calcium for vegans see:
Latin American Foods High in Calcium
Calcium Content of Popular Indian Vegetarian Dishes and Ingredients
Thanks, but what about the idea of having wheat bran added elsewhere (e.g. to some salad, just to make it more “healthy” as bran has been advertised as rich in minerals etc) + some food reach in vitamin C? There was also a case in some instagram post of “yogurt + wheat bran” combination speculating that yogurt would fight phytate effectively. Are vit.C and yogurt really capable to fight large amounts of phytate? Or what could be your advice on bran in general – is it useful for vegans, in which amounts? Many thanks.