Calcium for Weight Loss?
April 16, 2004By Julie Monheim, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If your mother always told you to drink your milk so you can grow bigger, she may have been wrong. New research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Summit in Orlando, Fla., shows calcium from milk, supplements, or other dairy products may actually make you smaller -- by promoting weight loss.
Stella L. Volpe, Ph.D., R.D., from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia, presented data from recent studies that show participants who consume more calcium lose more weight. She says if the body consumes enough calcium, a breakdown of fat occurs. However, if the body consumes an insufficient amount of calcium, the opposite can occur, and the body actually produces more fat cells.
Volpe says, “It is very exciting to be able to promote something people can and should ingest that can actually lead to weight coming off. Too often, our weight loss advice centers on eliminating foods from the diet, or in the case of some, promoting dangerous supplements.”
Volpe says athletes who participate in sports like wrestling where weight management is an issue can greatly benefit from calcium. She says these athletes can use calcium to help maintain weight while also reaping the benefits of bone strength and prevention of osteoporosis. She also says low-fat dairy products such as skim milk and yogurt offer hydration and vitamin D as extra benefits.
While Volpe does not recommend a specific daily dose of calcium for weight loss purposes, she says the current daily recommended allowance of four low-fat dairy servings should be the minimum amount a person consumes. She says more research needs to be conducted to determine specific dose recommendations of calcium for weight loss.
SOURCE: Julie Monheim at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Summit, Orlando, Fla., April 14-17, 2004
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