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We examined the effects of a nondigestible disaccharide difructose anhydride III (DFAIII) on calcium absorption and retention by means of a human balance study of single-blind crossover design. Twelve healthy male subjects ingested 250 mg of shell powder as calcium carbonate (corresponding to 100 mg of calcium) with or without 1.0 g DFAIII three times a day for 13 d. In the last 4 d as a balance period, all urine and feces were collected and evaluated for calcium excretion. The apparent calcium absorption (mg/d) and rate of absorption (%) were higher, and those of retention were much higher, in the DFAIII group than in the control group. Furthermore, serum osteocalcin increased after the experimental period in the DFAIII group but not in the control group. These results indicate that DFAIII ingestion enhances intestinal calcium absorption, which might be beneficial for bone metabolism.

We investigated the influences of difructose anhydride III (DFAIII), a novel commercially available disaccharide, on sugar metabolism, breath hydrogen and serum ace tate in the early stages after ingestion to determine whether DFAIII is an indigestible sugar and to what degree it is fermentable in humans. This study was designed as a randomized controlled single-blind crossover test with 9 healthy subjects, who drink a 200mL water solution containing 10g of DFAIII, lactulose or sucrose following overnight fasting. Blood samples (for analysis of glucose, fructose, insulin, triacylglycerol, free fatty acids, and ace tate) were collected at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8h after the ingestion and breath samples (for analysis of hydrogen and methane gases) were collected at 1h intervals until 8h after the ingestion. We also interviewed each subject hourly about the incidence and severity of specific abdom inal complaints and other symptoms. The results revealed that ingestion of 10g of DFAIII did not change the serum levels of glucose, fructose, and insulin, similarly to the case with lactulose, and no increase in breath hydrogen excretion was comparable to the case with sucrose. The incidence of specific abdominal symptoms tended to be lower after DFAIII inges tion than after lactulose ingestion. It thus turned out that DFAIII was indigestible and low fermentable in the early stages after ingestion.

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