Weight Loss Information

Weight-loss Tip: Add Extra Calcium to a Low-Fat Diet


Got milk? New research suggests you should if you want to lose weight. The weight loss study shows that calcium, three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products, can help adjust your body's fat-burning machinery.

Low-fat dairy may help reduce body fat
----------------------------------------
The key is low-fat dairy sources, says lead author Hang Shi, a postdoctoral student in the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. "High-fat dietary calcium can establish obesity, but it's surprising that low-fat calcium may help reduce body fat," said Shi. "The effect is very significant, much more than we imagined it would be."

His paper on the effects of a high-calcium diet in increasing body fat loss was presented at the Experimental Biology 2000 meeting in San Diego.

"The magnitude of the findings was shocking," says Michael Zemel, PhD, director of the Nutrition Institute, who is Shi's co-author and doctoral supervisor.

The more calcium there is in a fat cell, the more fat it will burn
-----------------------------------------
In their past studies, Zemel and colleagues have shown that calcium stored in fat cells plays a crucial role in regulating how fat is stored and broken down by the body. It is thought that the more calcium there is in a fat cell, the more fat it will burn.

The researchers used mice bred to be obese in their current study. The mice were fed a special high-fat, high-sugar diet for six weeks. All had a 27% increase in body fat.

Some were then switched to a calorie-restricted diet. Of those, one group was given calcium supplements (calcium carbonate similar to Tums) and others were fed "medium" and "high" amounts of low-fat dry milk.

Body fat storage was markedly reduced by all three high-calcium diets, say the authors.

Mice getting their calcium via supplements had a 42% decrease in body fat
-----------------------------------------
Those given calcium supplements had good results, when combined with the restricted-calorie diet. Mice getting their calcium via supplements had a 42% decrease in body fat, whereas mice eating without supplements had an 8% body fat loss.

Mice on the "high-dairy" diet lost 69% body fat
-----------------------------------------
However, calcium from dairy products produced the best results. Mice on the "medium-dairy" diet had a 60% decrease in body fat, while those on the "high-dairy" diet lost 69% body fat. Researchers also found very small increases in thermogenesis, the body's core temperature, which then enhances the effects of calcium gained through diet rather than calcium in supplement form, says Zemel.

"Calcium is no magic bullet. What the study says is that ... higher-calcium diets favor burning rather than storing fat. Calcium changes the efficiency of weight loss," Zemel tells WebMD.

The human body's metabolism makes weight loss difficult, he explains. "Many people who stick to a calorie-reduced diet don't lose weight as fast as they think they should. That's because they activate metabolic protection ... Their bodies sense starvation and hang on to energy, fat, more voraciously."

Substitute high-fat dairy products with low-fat dairy
-------------------------------------------
Too many dieters tend to immediately "jettison dairy foods from their diet, because they're just sure they're going to make them fat. In fact, they are shooting themselves in the foot, because they subject themselves to more empty-calorie sources. They would be better off if they would substitute high-fat dairy products with low-fat dairy," says Zemel.

Keeping in mind that the mouse study is preliminary, it is very well done and shows promise, Pamela Meyers, PhD, a clinical nutritionist and assistant professor at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta. "But the calcium amounts the study suggests are effectively equal to what the USDA already recommends as a minimum for adults," she adds.

While nonfat dry milk was used in this study, few people buy that product, says Meyers. "Also, there are people who are lactose intolerant who can't consume dairy products. That is why we need to look at other food sources of calcium, [such as] ... dark leafy vegetables, salmon, mackerel, almonds, and oats. ... They also are very high in fiber, which helps in terms of weight management."

If using calcium supplements, it's important to choose those with added vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium, which help the body to better absorb calcium, says Meyers.

This study was supported in part by the National Dairy Council.

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)
------------
Weight-Loss Tip: Add Extra Calcium to a Low-Fat Diet

About The Author
----------------
Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and information on Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone and related health benefits. He has created and edits numerous web sites about this subject. Michael is a staff writer for http://www.ageforce.com and several otherwebsites. If you would like to contact Michael you can e-mail him at Michael@AgeForce.com


MORE RESOURCES:

NDTV.com

Sedentary lifestyle makes long-term weight loss tougher
NDTV.com
If you think a few weeks of slothful behaviour and caloric overindulgence can be easily worked off at the gym, think again. Weight gained during high ...
Scottsdale Weight Losslonad News
hCGDietDallas.us | Top 3 Arguments That hCG Diet Does Not Lead to Weight LossPR Web (press release)
HCG Diet Direct's YouTube Channel Discusses Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) Tips ...PR Web (press release)

all 5 news articles »


Stuff.co.nz

Study Links Weight Loss To Increased Chemicals In Blood
RTT News
(RTTNews) - A new study published in the current edition of the Journal of Obesity suggests that weight loss could result in an unexpected and potentially ...
Toxicity of weight loss, research showsSeer Press
The Downside of Weight LossWebMD
Weight loss linked to dementia, cancerHindustan Times
msnbc.com -Medical News Today -AOL Health (blog)
all 82 news articles »


Cardium Announces Appexium(TM), a New Weight Loss Management Dietary ...
MarketWatch (press release)
Appexium may be used as a stand-alone product, integrated as part of exercise, yoga and other fitness programs, or used in concert with popular weight-loss ...

and more »


MedIndia

Benefits of a weight loss blog
Helium
A weight loss blog can provide a variety of benefits, both to the writer and the readers. The following are some of these benefits. ...
What to include in your weight loss blogHelium
Why a negative mentality could hinder your weight-loss plansHelium
The importance of motivation for weight lossHelium
Helium -Sify -lonad News
all 40 news articles »


Seer Press

The Diet Solution - Try the Best Diet Plan For Weight Loss Fast
San Lorenzo Valley Press-Banner
An accelerated weight loss program from The Diet Solution, for example, is a more effective one. Well this is my independent review of The Diet Solution ...
Radical New Weight Loss Programme Called The Diet Solution Helps People Lose ...OfficialWire (press release)
Your Space: Getting the 'perfect body' or giving into media fads?NorthJersey.com
The Diet Solution Program-Your Complete Weight Loss Program That You Can TrustSeer Press
Helium -Excalibur Online -GlobalPost
all 18 news articles »


Weight-loss surgery can heal the heart
abc13.com
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Weight-loss surgery is a last resort. It's major surgery for those who can't lose weight any other way. But now, Houston researchers are ...
Weight Loss Surgery Before Pregnancy Prevents More SurgerySurgery.about.com (blog)

all 2 news articles »


Dieters Bet On Their Own Weight Loss -- And Lose
NPR (blog)
Dieters who place bets on their own weight loss with a London bookie usually wind up losing, according to a recent analysis by two ...



The Daily Dose: Weight Loss Can Be Toxic, But Obesity Is Expensive
TIME (blog)
Weight Loss Can Be Toxic: A new study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that shedding a significant amount of weight could actually ...

and more »


Yellow Brick Road to weight loss
Chicago Sun-Times
If your doctor recommended you lose just 10 pounds, would you? What if that doctor were Dr. Oz -- the one dubbed "America's doctor" by ...

and more »


Health Jackal

Low Carb Veggie-Based Diet Assists Weight Loss, Improves Health
Technorati (blog)
Whether your goal is weight loss or improved health, making the switch to a veggie-based diet will have a profound effect on longevity. ...
Call for a Randomized Trial to Settle the Low-Carb Diet QuestionsWall Street Journal (blog)
Conclusions Flawed in Comparison of Animal-and Plant-Based 'Low-Carbohydrate ...PR Newswire (press release)
Obesity center studies low-carb dietsTemple News
WebMD -News on Wellness -TIME (blog)
all 106 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006