Consumption of Low-Fat and Low-Calcium Diets Among Healthy Premenopausal Women

Abstract

Following menopause, women are at increased risk for many chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease and osteoporosis. Both of these diseases are related in part to dietary factors, that is, fat and calcium intake. The purpose of this study is to examine the levels of intake of total fat and calcium among healthy premenopausal women, as well as the relationships between intake of fat and calcium. Five hundred forty-one healthy premenopausal women, age 42–50 years, were randomly recruited for a longitudinal study of cardiovascular risk factors through the course of menopause. For this article, women were compared on the basis of baseline levels of fat and calcium intake. Physiologic, demographic, dietary, and other data were collected at home and clinic visits. Women were divided into two groups for each analysis: low-fat (≤30% of kilocalories) and high-fat (>30% of kilocalories) consumers and low-calcium (<800 mg) and high-calcium (≥800 mg) consumers. Differences between groups in physiologic, demographic, dietary, and behavioral characteristics were compared by means of Student's t-test and χ² analyses. Groups did not differ physiologically but differed on dieting behaviors, nutrient intake, and food consumption patterns. Consistently, high-fat diets were associated with high calcium intake. Women who reported adequate intake of calcium reported higher consumption of cheese and milk. For women approaching menopause, the tradeoff between low-fat and high-calcium diets is unacceptable. Dietary guidelines and recommendations should be clarified to better inform women about food chokes that enable them to consume adequate amounts of calcium without increasing fat intake above recommended levels.