A Comparative Study of the Growth-promoting and Bone-Calcifying Effects of Several Carbohydrates

Under conditions of controlled mineral intake lactose, sucrose, and galactose were fed to young litter mate rats in amounts equivalent to 23 to 26% of their caloric intake. With ad libitum feeding the supplementation of the basal diet with lactose induced greater gains in rats than were obtained in litter mates on the basal diet, but only when the former consumed appreciably more calories. On paired feeding no alteration in growth was observed when 25% of sucrose or lactose replaced an equivalent amount of starch in the basal ration. Of these carbohydrates lactose was the only one which caused an acceleration in bone calcification. This effect was found under both ad libitum and control feeding conditions. In comparison with cod liver oil, however, this sugar, at the levels fed, did not induce as well calcified bones.