A year-long clinical trial found that a soluble corn fiber supplement increased bone mineral content by 18.8% in girls aged 9 to 14 who consumed too little calcium, compared to 12.9% in a placebo group. The same effect was not seen in boys.
Source: Press release, children age 9 to 14 who consumed too little calcium. Announced by the researchers' institution. Read the study it describes before drawing conclusions.
What was found
A year-long clinical trial found that a soluble corn fiber supplement increased bone mineral content by 18.8% in girls aged 9 to 14 who consumed too little calcium.
Girls in the placebo group saw an increase of 12.9%. The researchers reported that this 6% difference was a significant and clinically relevant number.
The same effect was not seen in boys, possibly because they were at a different stage of puberty and skeletal development.
How it was done
Researchers at Florida International University led the NIH-funded MetA-Bone clinical trial.
The year-long trial included children aged 9 to 14 who consumed too little calcium.
Participants kept their usual diets and added a twice-daily powder. About half received a soluble corn fiber supplement, and the rest received a look-alike placebo.
Bone mineral content was checked three times over 12 months using DEXA scans.
What it does not show
The study was not designed to detect differences between boys and girls, so the finding needs to be confirmed in larger trials.
These are early results that require more research.
What happens next
More research is needed, and the findings for girls need to be confirmed in larger trials.
Who was talking about it
- Medical Xpress on the news (2026-10-15): Medical Xpress reported that a study found prebiotic fiber helped girls build more bone. See the post
The source
This is news, reported from the source above. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you change any medicine or supplement.