Calcium Pyruvate Diet

You may have noticed that in the long-running "Got Milk?" advertising campaign, the milk-mustached celebrities were slim. It turns out that the calcium in milk may be partially responsible. This may make calcium pyruvate -- a weight loss supplement containing calcium and pyruvic acid -- a tempting purchase. But you should learn more about calcium pyruvate and consult a physician before adding it to your diet.

Theory

If you follow a sensible diet, adding calcium pyruvate supplements may assist your weight loss efforts by helping your body burn fat. Fat-burning evidence is stronger for calcium than it is for pyruvate. Calcium is found naturally in dairy products and is often added to breakfast cereals, soy products and some fruit juices. Pyruvate, also called pyruvic acid, is naturally produced in your body when it breaks down sugar. You can obtain additional pyruvate in supplement form but not in food sources.

Calcium Supplements and Weight Loss

Although some evidence exists that acidic foods -- grapefruit, tomatoes, oranges and apples, for instance -- boost metabolism, science does not support taking pyruvate or other acid supplements for weight loss, according to registered dietitian Leslie Beck. The calcium in calcium pyruvate pills may help if your current diet is calcium-deficient, according to a study published in "The British Journal of Nutrition." In a study conducted by Geneviève C. Major and colleagues at Universite Laval's Faculty of Medicine, obese women whose normal diets includes less than 600 mg of calcium daily were either given pills containing 1,200 mg of calcium or a placebo. The women taking the calcium supplements lost 6 kg -- 13.2 lb -- and the women taking placebos lost 1 kg -- 2.2 lb. -- during the 15-week study.

Yogurt and Weight Loss

An alternative to taking calcium pyruvate supplements would be to add fruit and yogurt to your diet. Beck says antioxidants in fruits, such as oranges and blueberries, will give you a slight edge in burning fat. And eating yogurt may also aid your weight loss efforts, according to a study conducted at the University of Tennessee (UT). Michael Zemel, a professor at UT who has researched the effects of calcium on body mass for more than a decade, says a clear link exists between calcium intake and your body's ability to burn fat. In Zemel's study, two groups of women were placed on calorie-restricted diets, but one group ate three servings of yogurt daily, providing 1,000 mg of calcium, and the others consumed 500 mg of calcium per day. The group who ate three servings of yogurt daily lost 22 percent more weight and 61 percent more body fat than those whose diets included little calcium.

Expert Insight

Angelo Tremblay, a professor at the Universite Laval in Canada, says it is essential for people who are trying to lose weight to get enough calcium. He says 50 percent of the overweight women who come to his clinic do not get the recommended intake of 1,000 mg of calcium and that women who don't get enough calcium are more likely to have more body fat and bigger waistlines. David Schardt, an associate nutritionist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., says research does not support the exaggerated weight loss claims made by companies selling calcium pyruvate products.

Diet

It is unlikely that taking calcium pyruvate without making dietary changes will help you lose weight. In the studies conducted at the UT and the Universite Laval, participants who increased their calcium intake also reduced their food and beverage intake by 500 calories daily. Beck also says that a balanced diet that reduces calories is key to successful weight loss. The USDA provides moderate calorie-restricted eating plans that provide a balance of nutrition. The USDA plan, based on its Food Pyramid, suggests you can lose weight by eating six servings of fruits and vegetables, six servings of whole grains, two to three servings of dairy products and 5 oz. of meat or vegetable protein.