Supplement
Calcium-D-glucarate is the calcium salt of glucaric acid, a compound found in fruits and vegetables that may block beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme involved in how the body clears hormones and other substances. People mostly look at it for cancer prevention, but the evidence is very limited: in rodents, it lowered tumor rates across several cancer types. No human trials have tested this, and the rodent doses were far higher than any supplement, so the findings say little about people yet.
Sources: PMID 2208084
- Updated
- How we grade
- 8 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0005
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-Glucuronidase Inhibition In rats, a single dose of calcium glucarate inhibited beta-glucuronidase activity in serum (57%), liver (44%), lung (37%), and intestinal microsomes (39%). A 4% dietary supplementation inhibited bacterial beta-glucuronidase by 70% in the small intestine and 54% in the colon. No human trials have confirmed these effects at supplement doses. | Changes; see studies | Moderate effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured beta-glucuronidase inhibition
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| Hormone Metabolism Modulation In mice, dietary calcium D-glucarate reduced 17-ketosteroid excretion, consistent with altered steroid hormone metabolism via beta-glucuronidase inhibition reducing enterohepatic recirculation. Theoretical mechanism suggests decreased levels of estrogen, testosterone, and other glucuronidated hormones. No human trials have confirmed hormone-modulating effects. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Studies that measured hormone metabolism modulation | ||||||
| Anti-inflammatory Effects (Preclinical) In A/J mice exposed to benzo[a]pyrene, a 4% calcium D-glucarate diet reduced IL-6 levels by approximately 70% and TNF-alpha levels while increasing anti-inflammatory IL-10 at 4 weeks post-exposure. Cell proliferation (BrdU staining) was reduced by 67.2% in lung tissue. Limited to a single animal study. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured anti-inflammatory effects (preclinical) | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cholesterol Reduction (Preclinical) In female Sprague-Dawley rats, dietary calcium D-glucarate reduced total serum cholesterol by up to 14% and LDL-cholesterol by up to 35% with no effect on HDL. Preliminary uncontrolled human observations have been referenced in reviews but no peer-reviewed human clinical trials have been published. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured cholesterol reduction (preclinical) | ||||||
Key findings
- Cancer Prevention (Preclinical)Improves (the measure goes down)
- Beta-Glucuronidase InhibitionChanges; see studies
- Hormone Metabolism ModulationImproves (the measure goes down)
Studies cited
8 studies from PubMed
- Dietary D-glucarate effects on the biomarkers of inflammation during early post-initiation stages of benzo[a]pyrene-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice
- Calcium glucarate prevents tumor formation in mouse skin
- Calcium-D-glucarate
- Metabolism, uptake, and excretion of a D-glucaric acid salt and its potential use in cancer prevention
- Dietary glucarate-mediated inhibition of initiation of diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis
- Potential use of D-glucaric acid derivatives in cancer prevention
- Effect of calcium glucarate on beta-glucuronidase activity and glucarate content of certain vegetables and fruits
- Dietary glucarate-mediated reduction of sensitivity of murine strains to chemical carcinogenesis