Effect of cereal-legume chapati diets on absorption and retention of calcium.

Wheat chapati, wheat + Bengal gram (80:20 and 70:30) chapatis and casein diets, at 10 percent protein level, were fed to rats for 12 weeks to study the effect on calcium utilization. The supplementation of Bengal gram to wheat diets significantly improved the calcium absorption. The urinary calcium excretion in wheat + Bengal gram chapati diets was significantly less than that of wheat chapati diet fed group. The in vivo 45Ca absorption (CPM/100 microliters serum) was also less in wheat chapati group as compared to wheat + Bengal gram chapati diets fed groups. The supplementation of legumes to cereals improved the calcium utilization and it may be concluded that there will be no risk of occurrence of protein induced hypercalciuria.