Calcium-The key to quick weight loss

Calcium - The key to quick Weight Loss

Calcium - The Key To Quick Weight Loss

Copyright © 2004 Priya Shah

Are you dieting your way to bone loss?

Are you aware that the diet you follow may be depleting
your bones of essential nutrients and increasing your
chances of developing osteoporosis?

Popular diets may
promise quick weight loss, but calcium and other important
nutrients are often missing from the menu, which can lead
to bone loss.

And women who consistently limit what they eat to avoid
gaining weight may undermine the health of their bones,
according to a study by ARS researchers in California. (1)

The study looked at the eating behavior of women between
the ages of 18 and 50 and found that those classified as
"restrained eaters" had significantly lower bone mineral
density and bone mineral content (key indicators of overall
bone strength and health) than women who said they weren't
concerned about what they ate.

"Exercise and eating a well-balanced diet with adequate
calcium, are two of the best ways to keep your bones strong
and healthy." advise the researchers.

Calcium is not only good for your bones but can help you
maintain a healthy, low fat diet too. There has been
increasing media coverage about numerous studies showing
that a diet rich in calcium helps reduce body fat.

Why is calcium important in weight loss?

Calcium is a fat burner. High-calcium diets seem to favor
burning rather than storing fat. Researchers say this is
because calcium stored in fat cells plays an important role
in fat storage and breakdown.

Calcium changes the efficiency of weight loss . In fact,
study after study has shown that the people with the
highest calcium intake overall weighed the least, and the
people with the lowest calcium intake had the highest
percentage of body fat. (2,3,4)

When overall calorie consumption is accounted for, calcium
not only helps keep weight in check, but can be associated
specifically with decreases in body fat. A low daily
calcium intake is associated with greater tendency to gain
weight, particularly in women. (5)

Researchers found that adolescent girls who consumed more
calcium weighed less and had less body fat than girls who
consumed the same amount of calories from other sources.
(6)

Previous studies have shown that a higher calcium intake
can block body fat production in adults and preschool
children (7), but this was one of the first studies to show
that it might have the same effect in body-conscious
preteen and teenage girls.

But aren't dairy products fattening?

Some dieters consider dairy products to be fattening, but
the evidence suggests the opposite is true.

Consumption of calcium-rich dairy foods can actually help
to reduce and prevent obesity. Over 20 recent studies show
that milk products actually contribute to weight loss.

A new study in obese adults, presented at the First Annual
Nutrition Week Conference, showed that increasing calcium
intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day
could reduce the risk of obesity by as much as 70 percent.
(8)

The study provided clinching evidence that calcium in
low-fat dairy products can help adjust your body's
fat-burning machinery and help keep your weight under
control.

In another study, obese subjects placed on a high-calcium
diet, with yogurt as the calcium source, showed markedly
greater fat loss than those on a low-calcium diet. (9)

Numerous studies have shown that dairy calcium is more
effective in reducing body fat than other forms of calcium.
(10)

Why does diary calcium work so well?

Researchers believe that other nutrients found in milk
products act in synergy with calcium to reduce fat more
efficiently.

Glycomacropeptides (found in whey proteins derived from
milk) in particular, are known to create feelings of
satiety and fullness and decrease food intake. (11,12,13)

Foods that are a good source of calcium include cheese,
milk, ice cream, baked beans and other dried legumes, dried
figs, broccoli, most dark-green leafy vegetables, and soft
fish bones like those in canned salmon.

Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have
health problems, consult your physician before starting any
weight loss plan. The information here is not provided by
medical professionals and is not intended as a substitute
for medical advice. Please consult your physician before
beginning any course of treatment.

References:

1. Dieters May Lose Bone Density. April 1999; Agricultural
Research magazine

2. Regulation of adiposity by dietary calcium. Zemel MB et
al. [2000. FASEB J 14:1132-1138.]

3. Regulation of adiposity and obesity risk by dietary
calcium: mechanisms and implications. Zemel MB. 2002. [J Am
Coll Nutr 21: 146S-151S.]

4. Effects of dietary calcium on adipocyte lipid metabolism
and body weight regulation in energy-restricted aP2-agouti
transgenic mice. Shi H et al. [2001. FASEB J 5:291-293.]

5. Calcium intake, body composition, and lipoprotein-lipid
concentrations in adults. Jacqmain M et al. [2003. Am J
Clin Nutr 77:1448-1452.]

6. Higher dairy intake is associated with lower body fat
during adolescence. Novotny R et al. [2003. Poster
Presentation, Experimental Biology Meeting, April, San
Diego, CA.]

7. The role of dietary calcium and other nutrients in
moderating body fat in preschool children. Carruth BR and
Skinner JD. [2001. T Int J Obesity Relat Metab Disord
25:559-566.]

8. Calcium and Dairy Acceleration of Weight and Fat Loss
during Energy Restriction in Obese Adults. Zemel MB et al.
[Obes Res. 2004 Apr;12(4):582-90.]

9. Dairy (yogurt) augments fat loss and reduces central
obesity during energy restriction in obese subjects. Zemel
MB et al. [2003. FASEB J A1088:679.3]

10. Calcium and Weight: Clinical Studies. Heaney, R.P.,
Davies, K.M., Barger-Lux, M.J. [Journal of the American
College of Nutrition, 21(2), 2002, pages 152S-155S.]

11. Cholecystokinin decreases food intake in rats. Gibbs J,
Young RC, Smith GP.J Comp [Physiol Psychol 1973
Sep;84(3):488-95]

12. Cholecystokinin antibody injected in cerebral
ventricles stimulates feeding in sheep. Della-Fera MA,
Baile CA, Schneider BS, Grinker JA. [Science 1981 May
8;212(4495):687-9]

13. Peptides with CCK-like activity administration
intracranially elicit satiety in sheep. Della-Fera MA,
Baile CA. [Physiol Behav 1981 Jun;26(6):979-83]

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