Recent research and studies have shown that three to four daily servings of low-fat, calcium rich dairy products, aids in the breakdown of fat and weight loss.
Director of The Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Michael Zemel, PhD and colleagues conducted studies on both mice and obese persons to determine the role of calcium in weight loss.
When coupled with a restricted-calorie diet, both study groups lost the most weight with diets rich in calcium.
WebMD reported the findings in the publication of their online article "Calcium: Drink Yourself Skinny:"
The mouse evidence: In one study, Zemel used mice that were specially bred to be obese. He fed the mice a high-fat, high-sugar diet for six weeks. All had a 27% increase in body fat.
He then put the mice on a restricted-calorie diet, and gave calcium to two groups of them.
The calcium made a big difference. Mice that didn't get any calcium had an 8% loss of body fat. Mice getting calcium supplements had a 42% decrease in body fat.
But calcium from dairy products produced the best weight-loss results. Mice on a medium-dairy diet had a 60% decrease in body fat, while those on a high-dairy diet lost 69% body fat.
The human evidence: A study of 32 obese people on a low-calorie diet divided them into three groups: those whose diet was high in dairy, those who ate little dairy but took calcium supplements, and those whose diets were low-calcium and low-dairy. After 24 weeks, everyone lost a lot of fat, but those who ate the dairy-rich diet lost five pounds more.
Calcium, our bodies, and weight loss
99% of the calcium in our bodies can be found in our bones. The other one percent of calcium aids in blood clotting, muscular contractions, and other important bodily functions. Part of this one percent of calcium is actually stored in our fat cells and is said to play a role in fat storage and fat breakdown. When calcium intake is too low, a hormone known as calcitriol is released. Calcitriol works hard to conserve calcium in the body, but as a result also increases fat storage. It has been shown that when adequate amounts of calcium are present in the diet, more fat is burned. The ideal way to attain this calcium and achieve optimal results, however, is through the consumption of whole foods and low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
Calcium deficiencies can also result in low-bone density, muscle cramps, and osteoporosis. Current dietary recommendations suggest 1,000mg of calcium for men and 1,200mg of calcium for women daily. Women, older adults, and children in their pre-late teens may require additional calcium in their diets.
If your current fitness goal is to burn fat and shed unwanted pounds, then add more calcium rich foods to your daily diet, monitor your caloric intake vs. expenditure, and get moving with exercise.
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