Recently, the increase of morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease in Japanese caused by high calcium/magnesium ratio in dietary intake are focused. In this report, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus intake, and these concentrations in blood and plasma of Japanese adult men are examined.
Subjects in this survey were 20 healthy adult men (42 ± 6.6 years) and the intakes of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), Ca and Mg ratio (Ca/Mg ratio) and P and Ca ratio (P /Ca ratio) were calculated from the daily food intakes. Ca, P and Mg concentrations in plasma and blood were measured by using inductively coupled plasma- atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES: Perkin Elmer Co. Ltd) after wet digestion by nitric acid, and biochemical parameters in plasma were monitored. No significant correlation was found between Ca, P and Mg concentrations in plasma or blood and Ca, P, Mg, P /Ca ratio and Ca/Mg ratio in dietary intakes. Ca/Mg ratio in food intake correlated positively with phospholipid and triglyceride values in plasma (p < 0.05).
These results indicate that Ca, Mg and P concentrations in plasma are not so much change for the most part by the homeostasis mechanism, so that not always reflected in the nutritional status. However, they support that increase of Ca/Mg ratio in daily food intakes induces arteriosclerosis and ischemic heart disease, and showed high correlation with plasma index for these diseases. It is suggested that anew not only individual mineral intake but also mineral balance is important.
