Calcium pyruvate is a popular supplement touted for its potential weight loss benefits and other health-related properties. Pyruvate, a normal constituent of the body, participates in carbohydrate metabolism and functions as a scavenger of free radicals. Calcium pyruvate monohydrate (CPM) is a more stable derivative that has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in experimental colitis and could be considered a source of calcium. This article delves into the research surrounding calcium pyruvate, exploring its potential benefits, downsides, and usage.
What is Calcium Pyruvate?
Pyruvate, in its anionic form, is a pivotal biochemical intermediate in carbohydrate metabolism. Apart from being an important energy-bearing metabolite, it acts as an endogenous scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This scavenging action could explain its reported beneficial effects, including improvement of cardiac function after coronary ischemia and reperfusion, and in critical medical conditions like severe sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, burn injury, acute pancreatitis, and stroke.
However, pyruvate's instability in solution limits its clinical use. To address this, various pyruvate derivatives have been developed, including calcium pyruvate monohydrate (CPM), synthesized under conditions that avoid destabilization.
Potential Benefits of Calcium Pyruvate
Proponents of calcium pyruvate claim various health benefits, though evidence for most remains minimal or mixed.
Weight Loss and Obesity
Calcium pyruvate is theorized to work via increasing the metabolic rate. Calcium pyruvate is often promoted for weight loss, with the claim that it boosts fat breakdown in the body. Pyruvate is involved in the metabolic cycle to produce energy, so supplementing could theoretically increase energy and fat burn.
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Some early studies showed promising results. For example, in one older study, women with obesity consumed a 1,000-calorie diet for 21 days, with some taking high doses of 6 teaspoons (30 grams) of calcium pyruvate per day. The group taking calcium pyruvate experienced 48% greater fat loss.
However, it's crucial to note that consuming 1,000 calories per day is a very low-calorie diet and not sustainable for most people. It is unclear whether pyruvate has any effect when paired with a regular-calorie diet. Furthermore, some studies show no indication that supplementing with pyruvate helps reduce body weight.
Multiple studies have been conducted in persons with pyruvate for fat loss, although the most promising studies were done in the early 90s. When energy intake is restricted to 500kcal, weight loss is enhanced (6.5kg rather than 5.6kg) over a period of 21 days with 12g pyruvate. A lesser deficit, 1015kcal, also results in some weight loss, although the degree was lessened to about 0.4kg more than placebo, and very high dosages (22-44g) can induce some fat loss even near caloric maintenance, although the degree is minor (0.7kg versus 0.1kg loss over 6 weeks).
When dosed at 2g per day, pyruvate appears to be ineffective at changing parameter of body mass even in conjunction with an exercise program although it shows trends of fat loss. This may be a dose issue, as 6g pyruvate appears to be statistically significant, with 2.5kg fat loss rather than 1.2kg over a period of 6 weeks in otherwise healthy overweight persons.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Gut Health
Animal research suggests that calcium pyruvate may possess anti-inflammatory characteristics, potentially benefiting gastrointestinal and bone health. CPM has been reported to exert intestinal anti-inflammatory effects in an experimental model of colitis in rats.
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One animal study found that supplementing with calcium pyruvate for 7 days reduced inflammation among rats with drug-induced inflammation of the colon. Another animal study noted that supplementing with calcium pyruvate improved not only inflammation but also the immune status of rats with drug-induced chronic post-inflammatory pain that resembled irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The aim of one study was to evaluate the effects of CPM in a rat model of chronic post-inflammatory visceral pain induced by deoxycholic acid (DCA) that resembles IBS. In conclusion, CPM ameliorated the visceral hypersensitivity and the referred pain caused by DCA, being as effective as the control drug.
In the present study, the administration of DCA for three consecutive days resulted in increased visceral hypersensitivity to colorectal distension (CRD) (60 mm Hg) one and two weeks after, in comparison with the saline group. However, the oral administration of CPM, at doses of 40 and 100 mg/kg, reduced the CRD scores dose-dependently at both time points evaluated when compared with the IBS control group.
DCA induced changes in the colonic immune response characterized by increased expression of the cytokine Il-1β and the inducible enzyme Cox-2, which was reduced by the treatments. DCA also decreased the gut expression of the mucins Muc-2 and Muc-3, which was normalized by CPM, whereas gabapentin only increased significantly Muc-3. Moreover, DCA increased the expression of Tlr3, which was decreased to basal levels by all the treatments.
Bone Health
Furthermore, inflammatory conditions with a high prevalence of osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weak and porous bones, may benefit from calcium pyruvate. That’s because it provides calcium, a critical nutrient for bone health, and may help reduce inflammation. CPM, as a source of calcium, could be used to prevent osteoporosis.
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Taking into account the different properties described for CPM, scavenger of ROS, anti-inflammatory and prevention of osteoporosis, we consider that CPM can be a new strategy to treat diseases with an immune component in which there is also a dysregulation in the calcium homeostasis. This may be the case of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), since several studies have reported a lower calcium intake in IBS patients compared to general population.
Other Potential Benefits
Calcium pyruvate is said to offer a number of other potential benefits, though there isn’t much evidence to support them.
- May protect vision: Some older animal studies indicate that calcium pyruvate may help prevent or delay the formation of cataracts.
- May have immune-boosting effects: Calcium pyruvate supplements have been observed to benefit immune function in rats with drug-induced irritable bowel disease (IBD).
- May support heart health: In one study in pigs recovering from cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, administering pyruvate benefited heart function.
- May support exercise performance: It has been hypothesized that the mechanism is through preserving muscle glycogen by acting directly as a fuel source, and thus prolonging time to glycogen exhaustion. While there are anecdotal reports of calcium pyruvate improving energy levels and combating fatigue for endurance athletes, the evidence is mixed, with some studies finding no effect.
Studies in humans using large amounts of pyruvate (100g of a Dihydroacetone:Pyruvate mixture in a 3:1 ratio) find increased time to exhaustion in exercises of muscular endurance. This dosage increased blood glucose extraction, which can reduce the rate of perceived exertion. An oral dose of 7g dose not increased blood levels in trained athletes, nor does it increase performance on aerobic exercise.
More long-term research is needed on the health benefits of calcium pyruvate supplements in humans and specific applications.
Potential Downsides and Side Effects
Calcium pyruvate is considered to be most likely safe when taken in recommended doses. One review notes that there do not appear to be any significant adverse effects noted with pyruvate supplementation, but that no long term studies are done in humans at this moment in time. However, some people may experience unwanted effects, especially when taking larger doses. Some of the most commonly reported side effects from using calcium pyruvate are gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea, gas, and bloating, that appear to increase in severity with larger doses. The most common side effect is gastrointestinal upset, which occurs with higher dosages.
Side effects may be improved by lowering the dose or stopping the supplement altogether.
Dosage and Usage
Calcium pyruvate is most commonly taken orally in powdered or capsule form. Typical dosages appear to range widely from 0.5-6 teaspoons (2-30 grams) per day according to what has been used in various studies but likely vary by brand and intended use. Note that most consumers should probably use dosages on the lower end, as the higher doses used in research studies are likely unnecessary for the general healthy population.
In a study using calcium pyruvate capsules, dosages of 7-25g pyruvate equivalence did not influence blood pyruvate levels nor did they influence whole body pyruvate levels. The lack of urinary pyruvate (less than 0.1%) indicated poor bioavailability. The authors hypothesized that either pyruvate is being lost in the feces, or is being decarboxylated in the stomach and intestines, although low fecal loss rates have been noted in humans.
Precautions
Some people should avoid using calcium pyruvate altogether. For example, pregnant and breastfeeding women shouldn’t take it primarily due to a lack of safety evidence. Furthermore, while there is minimal information available about pyruvate interacting with any medications, this is always a possibility. Speak to your healthcare provider before starting a calcium pyruvate supplement to make sure it’s safe for you.