By David Gutierrez

Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas have genetically
engineered a carrot to provide more calcium, according to a paper published
in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the past, most genetically engineered products have been marketed to
farmers, claiming to provide benefits such as herbicide resistance. The
"super carrot," however is part of a new trend toward products that claim to
provide a direct benefit to consumers. Other researchers are working to
modify potatoes to absorb less oil during frying, and to boost the
cancer-fighting-chemical content of broccoli.

While carrots contain naturally occurring calcium, the mineral is poorly
absorbed by the human body. In the modified carrots, a gene has been changed
to allow calcium to move more freely across the carrot's cell membranes.

To test the carrot, researchers fed both normal and genetically modified
carrots to 15 women and 15 men between the ages of 21 and 29, then conducted
urine tests to determine calcium absorption. The researchers found that
participants absorbed 41 percent more calcium from the genetically modified
carrot than from the natural variety.

That amounts to a calcium content of between 27 and 29 milligrams per 100
grams (four ounces) of modified carrots.

The recommended dose of calcium is 1,000 milligrams per day. Researchers
acknowledged that the carrots by themselves could never provide a person
with enough calcium.

"In the future, this would be to simply offer consumers that choice," said
researcher Jay Morris. The researchers also suggested that other plants
could also be modified to provide more calcium.

Researcher Kendal Hirschi noted that the carrots still have to pass safety
tests before they can be provided to consumers.

Dairy products are a well-known source of dietary calcium, but many people
cannot eat them due to allergies, or choose not to for health or other
reasons. Green leafy vegetables are also a good dietary source of calcium.
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