Calcium: Taste, Intake, and Appetite

Abstract

This review summarizes research on sensory and behavioral aspects of calcium homeostasis. These are fragmented fields, with essentially independent lines of research involving gustatory electrophysiology in amphibians, ethological studies in wild birds, nutritional studies in poultry, and experimental behavioral studies focused primarily on characterizing the specificity of the appetite in rats. Recently, investigators have begun to examine potential physiological mechanisms underlying calcium intake and appetite. These include changes in the taste perception of calcium, signals related to blood calcium concentrations, and actions of the primary hormones of calcium homeostasis: parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Other influences on calcium intake include reproductive and adrenal hormones and learning. The possibility that a calcium appetite exists in humans is discussed. The broad range of observations documenting the existence of a behavioral limb of calcium homeostasis provides a strong foundation for future genetic and physiological analyses of this behavior.

Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and fat mass loss in female very low-calcium consumers: potential link with a calcium-specific appetite control

“…deficient animals (10) . Since in man the main source of calcium is food, a specific appetite driven-behaviour is likely to be accompanied by an increase in energy intake despite being incidental to the need for calcium as observed in animals (10) .…”

“…Since in man the main source of calcium is food, a specific appetite driven-behaviour is likely to be accompanied by an increase in energy intake despite being incidental to the need for calcium as observed in animals (10) . Accordingly, an adequate calcium intake could reverse this tendency and favour the success of a weight-reducing programme.…”

“…Indeed, it is believed that if an innate behavioural mechanism to respond to calcium deficiency exists in man, it would be associated with the complex flavour profile that characterizes most appreciable sources of calcium (10) .…”

Forty mouse strain survey of voluntary calcium intake, blood calcium, and bone mineral content

“…Calcium appetite; Ionized calcium; Bone mineral density; Calcium lactate; Inbred strain; Mouse phenome Adequate calcium intake is essential for many physiological processes but the controls of calcium intake are not well understood [reviews [45,54]]. Blood ionized calcium may regulate calcium intake [30,51,54], perhaps by acting on calcium receptors in the brain [e.g., [32]].…”

“…Blood ionized calcium may regulate calcium intake [30,51,54], perhaps by acting on calcium receptors in the brain [e.g., [32]]. Circulating levels of parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D influence calcium intake [e.g., [12,30,43,51,61]] but it is unclear whether these effects are due to the direct action of the hormones on the brain or to their indirect actions on blood calcium levels.…”