Calcium and Weight Loss
New Research Shows...
Although Early Effects Are Small,
They're Significant For Long-Term
Weight Management
Data from seven trials showed that calcium may provide weight loss of around 3 - 4 lbs per year, compared with placebo, according to study results .
More importantly, a daily dose of 1,000 milligrams of calcium
was associated with a "small, significant reduction in body fat" of about 4 - 5 lbs per year, report the scientists from the Department of Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School at the University of Exeter, UK.
"While the findings suggest that calcium supplementation for at least 6 months results in a statistically significant weight loss in obese and overweight individuals, the clinical relevance is uncertain," they added.
The potential role of dairy and the calcium it provides, for effective
weight management is a topic of ongoing debate. A relationship between dairy intake and weight reduction has been recorded in numerous studies, and the dairy industries in Europe and the
U.S. have been promoting milk-based products for consumers who want to slim down.
Some researchers believe that calcium and vitamin D are the
key nutrients behind the effects; Others said that dairy can help reduce body fat and that calcium only accounts for about 40 per cent of the effect.
In an accompanying editorial in the same journal, researchers from Creighton University in Nebraska said the meta-analysis provided "an opportunity to clarify some of the confusion surrounding this issue".
For a 140 kg (308 lbs) woman seeking to lose half of her body weight, the mean weight loss calculated by the researchers
of about 4 - 5 lbs per year would "have very limited interest. However, for the general population confronting weight gain
(such as healthy women at mid-life) this same weight effect
is huge," they said.
The experts believe there are four significant conclusions that could responsibly be drawn from the meta-analysis: In addition to countering the weight gain that may occur in mid-life, calcium "should be a component of any weight loss regimen, as it augments the weight loss of a caloric deficit while protecting
lean body mass; it is not a substitute for control of an energy intake/output imbalance; and calcium is not a drug and is
certainly not a magic bullet".
The researchers noted that reports in the literature do support biological plausibility for calcium to aid body weight and fat loss; Vitamin D in the active form, stimulates the breakdown of fat and inhibits the action of fat cells.
There are also reports that indicate that a diet rich in calcium may promote the oxidation of fat, "resulting in the removal of additional amounts of calories from the body".
Source: Nutrition Reviews
Volume 69, Issue 6, Pages: 335-343,
"Efficacy of calcium supplementation for management of overweight and obesity: systematic review of randomized
clinical trials"
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