Can Calcium Increase Weight Loss
I already did an article that showed research raving that yogurt can help with weight loss. We are told that milk and calcium are good for the bones and teeth. I have read that calcium can do it also, but is there research to back that up?
Research on Calcium / Dairy and Weight Loss:
- One study looked at obese patients and abdominal visceral fat (fat in the belly) and found that supplementation of calcium produced a significant reduction in fat in this body location[1].
- Another study looked at 60 obese and overweight women who had a low calcium intake and supplemented them with 800 mg of calcium. It found that supplementation reduced not long their appetite but also produced significant fat loss through decrease lipid intake[2].
- Another study found that higher calcium intake increased fecal fat content. If you absorb less fat, you would likely gain less fat mass after meals[3]. Unfortunately, it did not show a significant difference in appetite but it was not long enough o measure body mass gain.
- A dairy virus calcium study showed that calcium by itself did not make a difference in weight loss, but dairy 3 times a day did cause significant weight loss[4].
- Several studies by Zemel at the University of Tennessee looked at calcium dairy and weight loss. They showed at both dairy and calcium helped with weight loss and maintenance[5],[6],[7],[8]. What the research by Zemel shows is that Calcium likely helps increase weight loss in those that are calcium deficient and it might help with others.
Recommendation on calcium:
- Calcium supplementation is suggested if you are deficient in intake. Calcium likely helps with weight loss if you do not get enough normally. I would suggest that it may decrease the cravings for calcium-containing foods. If you take a pill, make sure it had Vitamin D. You cannot absorb calcium without adequate Vitamin D. Recommended at 1000-1200 mg of calcium per day.
- Calcium supplementation may help weight loss in those who already get enough calcium. I do recommend it but only at 500-600 mg of calcium per day, Always buy calcium with vitamin D added.
- Dairy likely helps with weight loss. Dairy 2-3 times a day is a good source of protein. I recommend Fairlife Ultra-filtered Skim. It tastes great and has more calcium.
The Bottom line: I recommend that you try to get your calcium in the form of yogurt, cheese, or milk. They are filling and taste better than a pill. Dairy and meat are really the only low-fat versions of food I recommend.
Footnotes
[1]Rosenblum et al., “Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation Is Associated with Decreased Abdominal Visceral Adipose Tissue in Overweight and Obese Adults.”
[2]Major et al., “Calcium plus Vitamin D Supplementation and Fat Mass Loss in Female Very Low-Calcium Consumers: Potential Link with a Calcium-Specific Appetite Control.”
[3]Lorenzen et al., “Effect of Dairy Calcium or Supplementary Calcium Intake on Postprandial Fat Metabolism, Appetite, and Subsequent Energy Intake.”
[4]Booth et al., “Effect of Increasing Dietary Calcium through Supplements and Dairy Food on Body Weight and Body Composition: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.”
[5]Zemel et al., “Dairy-Rich Diets Augment Fat Loss on an Energy-Restricted Diet: A Multicenter Trial.”
[6]Zemel et al., “Effects of Dairy Intake on Weight Maintenance.”
[7]Zemel et al., “Calcium and Dairy Acceleration of Weight and Fat Loss during Energy Restriction in Obese Adults.”
[8]Zemel, “Role of Calcium and Dairy Products in Energy Partitioning and Weight Management.”
References:
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Booth, AO, CE Huggins, N Wattanapenpaiboon, and CA Nowson. “Effect of Increasing Dietary Calcium through Supplements and Dairy Food on Body Weight and Body Composition: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.” The British Journal of Nutrition 114, no. 7 (October 14, 2015): 1013–25. [PubMed]
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Lorenzen, JK, S Nielsen, JJ Holst, I Tetens, JF Rehfeld, and A Astrup. “Effect of Dairy Calcium or Supplementary Calcium Intake on Postprandial Fat Metabolism, Appetite, and Subsequent Energy Intake.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 85, no. 3 (March 1, 2007): 678–87. [PubMed]
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Major, GC, FP Alarie, J Doré, and A Tremblay. “Calcium plus Vitamin D Supplementation and Fat Mass Loss in Female Very Low-Calcium Consumers: Potential Link with a Calcium-Specific Appetite Control.” The British Journal of Nutrition 101, no. 5 (March 1, 2009): 659–63. [PubMed]
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Rosenblum, JL, VM Castro, CE Moore, and LM Kaplan. “Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation Is Associated with Decreased Abdominal Visceral Adipose Tissue in Overweight and Obese Adults.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 95, no. 1 (January 1, 2012): 101–8. [PubMed]
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Zemel, MB. “Role of Calcium and Dairy Products in Energy Partitioning and Weight Management.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79, no. 5 (May 1, 2004): 907S–912S. [PubMed]
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Zemel, MB, JE Donnelly, BK Smith, DK Sullivan, J Richards, D Morgan-Hanusa, MS Mayo, et al. “Effects of Dairy Intake on Weight Maintenance.” Nutrition & Metabolism 5 (October 24, 2008): 28. [PubMed]
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Zemel, MB, D Teegarden, MV Loan, DA Schoeller, V Matkovic, RM Lyle, and BA Craig. “Dairy-Rich Diets Augment Fat Loss on an Energy-Restricted Diet: A Multicenter Trial.” Nutrients 1, no. 1 (January 1, 2009): 83–100. [PubMed]
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Zemel, MB, W Thompson, A Milstead, K Morris, and P Campbell. “Calcium and Dairy Acceleration of Weight and Fat Loss during Energy Restriction in Obese Adults.” Obesity Research 12, no. 4 (April 1, 2004): 582–90. [PubMed]
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