Although calcium is most notably associated with bone health, it plays other roles in the body, from muscle contraction to controlling hormones. Moreover, increasing your calcium intake might have beneficial effects on weight loss. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, salmon, sardines, tofu and dark green vegetables.
Mechanism
Calcium boosts fat loss by preventing the formation of fat cells and increasing fat breakdown. Researchers from the University of Tennessee reported in the June 2000 issue of "FASEB Journal" that mice following high-calcium diets experienced decreases in lipogenesis, or the synthesize of fat cells, and stimulation of lipolysis, or the breakdown of fat cells.
Dairy Calcium Intake
Increasing your calcium intake from diary foods might enhance weight loss, according to a study performed by scientists from the University of the Negev in Israel. They discovered that subjects adhering to a weight loss diet with a higher dairy calcium intake experienced greater fat loss compared with those with lower dairy calcium intake over a two-year period, according to research published in the September 2010 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Abdominal Fat
Excess fat around the stomach region increases the risk for heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Scientists from Virginia Tech discovered that college students consuming a higher amount of low-fat dairy products experienced decreases in waist circumference compared with those with a lower intake of low-fat dairy products. Their research was reported in the August 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association."
Interactions
Calcium supplements can interfere with certain medications, including high blood pressure medications and bisphosphonates, according to the Mayo Clinic. Consult your health care physician before taking calcium supplements or going on a high-calcium diet.
References
- "FASEB Journal"; Regulation of Adiposity By Dietary Calcium; M.B. Zemel et al.; June 2000
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Dairy Calcium Intake,Serum Vitamin D, and Successful Weight Loss; D.R. Shahar et al.; November 2010
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Low-Fat Dairy Intake and Body Weight and Composition Changes in College Students; K.H. Poddar et al.; August 2009
- Mayo Clinic: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
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