Effect of Calcium and Vitamin D3 upon the Fecal Excretion of Some Metals in the Mature Male Rat Fed a High Fat, Cholesterol Diet

Abstract

The effect of elevated dietary calcium upon the excretion of 10 metals was studied in 400-day-old male Holtzman albino rats. Increasing dietary calcium from 0.08% to 1.2% increased excretion of lead, nickel, copper, cadium, chromium, iron, manganese, zinc, cobalt and magnesium when the rats were fed a corn-soya diet containing 18% added fat as USP cocoa butter and 2% added cholesterol. Inclusion of 25 units of vitamin D₃ /g of feed partially or completely inhibited the ability of elevated dietary calcium to cause increased excretion of these metals. Although supplementation of a diet with some essential metals may possibly be required, elevated levels of dietary calcium appear to entail the dual effects of lowered serum lipids, without deposition in tissue, and of increased fecal excretion of some potentially deleterious metals.