The acute effects of milk intake on calcium homeostasis and cardiovascular outcome: A randomized crossover trial in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Objective: The importance of calcium intake from dairy in regard to cardiovascular health has been investigated in several studies with discrepant results. Hence, we aim to investigate the immediate effects of milk intake on cardiovascular function. Design: A randomized crossover study with at least 10 days for washout between the two interventions, 500 ml of water with 200 µg of cholecalciferol or 500 ml of semi-skimmed milk containing approximately 600 mg of calcium with 200 µg of cholecalciferol. Patients: Twenty community-based postmenopausal women aged 60–80 years. Measurements: Parathyroid hormone and ionized calcium were measured at baseline and after 2 and 4 h on each study day. Pulse wave analysis and velocity were measured at baseline and after 4 h on each study day. Results: Compared to water, milk intake increased ionized calcium levels by 0.02 mmol/L (p =.029) and decreased parathyroid hormone levels by 1.78 pmol/L (p