Association between calcium intake from different food sources during childhood and cardiometabolic risk on adolescence: The Generation XXI birth cohort.

Background: Calcium intake has been associated with lower adiposity, but few studies explored the longitudinal relation of calcium from different sources and cardiometabolic markers in young population.

Objective: Prospectively estimate the association between dairy and non-dairy calcium intake at 4, 7, and 10 years (y) of age and cardiometabolic risk at 13 y.

Methods: The sample included 4017 participants from the Generation XXI birth cohort. Dietary data were collected from a 3-day food diary. Cardiometabolic clusters at 13 y were estimated by a probabilistic Gaussian mixture model (z-score of waist circumference [WC], HOMA-IR; HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure [BP]). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate associations.

Results: Calcium intake (/100 mg), after adjustment for confounders, was negatively and significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) (β = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.04; -0.01), WC (cm) (β = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.36; -0.11), and diastolic BP (mmHg) (β = -0.14, 95% CI: -0.26; -0.03). After additional adjustment for total energy intake, associations lose statistical significance. Calcium intake from milk at 7 y was inversely associated with WC (β = -0.25, 95% CI: -0.48; -0.03) and from yogurt at 10 y was associated with higher BMI (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03; 0.13) and WC (β = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.12; 0.96). Calcium from vegetables at 4, 7, 10 y reduces later cardiometabolic risk (OR = 0.71; OR = 0.84; OR = 0.98, respectively).

Conclusions: This study supports a protective effect of calcium on adolescents' cardiometabolic health, especially from vegetables.