Getting enough of both calcium and fiber may help you to lose weight. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that can't be digested by the body. Calcium is a mineral mainly stored in the bones and teeth. Consume foods rich in both to reap several health benefits. Get fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. Get calcium from dairy products and kale.
Function
Fiber normalizes bowel movements and helps to control blood sugar. It may reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation, according to Harvard School of Public Health. Adequate calcium can help to prevent osteoporosis, the School of Public Health states. Calcium helps muscles to contract and blood vessels to expand and contract. It's also needed for the secretion of hormones and enzymes and the transmission of nerve impulses.
Effects
Even if you don't attempt to reduce calories, you may end up eating less if you add more fiber to your diet, found a 2001 review published by Nancy C. Howarth and colleagues in "Nutrition Review." Getting more calcium may prevent weight gain at your midlife, according to a 2002 study published by Robert P. Heaney and colleagues in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition."
Mechanism
Fiber may help you lose weight because it's filling. It takes longer to digest and absorbs water as it moves through the digestive tract. Foods high in fiber are also conducive to weight loss because they are also typically low in calories. Calcium may accelerate weight and fat loss, especially in the abdominal region, according to a 2004 study conducted by Michael B. Zemel and colleagues and published in "Obesity Research."
Interaction
Additional fiber in your diet may cause you to absorb less calcium, so if you increase fiber you may want to increase calcium in your diet. People with type 2 diabetes excreted less calcium through their urine when they consumed 50 g of fiber a day than when they ate 24 g a day, found a study published by Abhimanyu Garg in "Diabetes Care." Excreting less calcium means less was absorbed from food.
Recommendations
Most women should aim for over 20 g of fiber a day; men should aim for over 30 g, Harvard School of Public Health recommends. The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults up to age 50 get 1,000 mg a day of calcium. After age 50, 1,200 mg is needed. Good sources of both include some fortified cereals, kidney beans, soybeans, bulgur, sesame seeds, almonds, popcorn, rye, sun-dried tomatoes, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, navy beans, oats, pecans, buckwheat, kidney beans and peanuts.
References
- UT Southwestern Medical Center: Diabetes on High-Fiber Diets Might Need Extra Calcium
- Nutrition Review; Dietary Fiber and Weight Regulation; Nancy C. Howarth, et al.; May 2001.
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Calcium and Weight: Clinical Studies; Robert P. Heaney, et al; 2002
- "Obesity Research;" Calcium and Dairy Acceleration of Weight and Fat Loss during Energy Restriction in Obese Adults; Michael B. Zemel, et al.; April 2004.
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber-What Should You Eat?
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber: Start Roughing It!
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