Calcium and Weight Loss – Is There a Link?
In America, obesity is a growing problem . This should not come as a surprise considering that the standard American diet consists of foods high in fat, sugar and calorie content. In addition, people hardly have the time to devote more than 10 minutes to exercise. As a result, an increasing number of people are becoming obese and weight loss centers and weight loss products are becoming ever so popular.
Recent studies suggest that a diet that includes food rich in calcium appears to promote weight loss. The dairy industry has taken these studies to heart that its most recent advertising campaign focuses on calcium and weight loss. The American Dairy Association or the ADA rely on these studies for their advertising campaigns. In the case of calcium and weight loss, there appears to be a link between how much calcium is in the body and the weight of an individual.
ADA’s advertising campaign shows that based on research, eating three to four servings of dairy products (low fat, of course) every day reduces how much fat is stored in the body. Basically, calcium encourages the body to convert more fat into energy and it does this by increasing the body’s core temperature, which in turn makes the body burn calories at a much faster rate. The studies also mention that people with low calcium stored in their body tend to have high fat stored.
The popular diets promising to quick weight loss usually does not include a lot of dairy products. Since calcium is needed by the body to prevent bone loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, those who are on these quick weight loss diets tend to be prone to osteoporosis and bone loss since they are not getting sufficient amounts of essential vitamins and minerals. Foods high in calcium are cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt, dried figs, baked beans, broccoli and dark green leafy vegetables.
Dr. Reed Mangels, a member of the Vegetarian Resource Group, commented on how high amounts of animal protein affect our bodies. Dr. Mangels quoted from a study that was published in 2003 in the Journal of Nutrition: “Some studies show that diets that are high in protein, especially animal protein, do cause increased losses of calcium in the urine…”
In addition, the current Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA for calcium is between 800 and 1000 mg per day. Most Americans consume calcium less than the RDA, typically between 500 and 700 mg. If your diet does not consist of foods high in calcium so that you can meet the RDA for calcium, you may need to take calcium supplements. This is so that you lower your risk of bone loss and developing osteoporosis, while at the same time take advantage of the weight loss benefits of calcium.
Having said all that, you may think that increasing your calcium intake through diet would result in increased weight loss. However, a number of studies that were published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2005 have indicated that increasing calcium intake does not increase weight loss, particularly in young healthy females.
So what should you do? It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before you start on a weight loss program. Doing so is crucial, especially if you are under 18 years of age, are pregnant or have a medical condition. Your doctor needs to first identify your original or current calcium intake and your intake of other essential vitamins and minerals. The next step would be for a registered dietitian to create a diet specifically tailored for you. This diet would meet your body’s caloric and nutritional needs.
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[...] Recent studies suggest that a diet that includes food rich in calcium appears to promote weight loss. The dairy industry has taken these studies to heart that its most recent advertising campaign focuses on calcium and weight loss. The American Dairy Association or the ADA rely on these studies for their advertising campaigns. In the case of calcium and weight loss, there appears to be a link between how much calcium is in the body and the weight of an individual. Check out the rest of the article here. [...]