by Marie Dufour, RD. Calcium diet bites the dust… but don’t toss your yogurt out the window yet!
A recent study reported that calcium supplementation (1,500 mg of calcium carbonate daily) was “unlikely to have clinically significant efficacy as a preventive measure against weight gain in patients who are already overweight or obese.” Perhaps the results would have been different if the researchers had used calcium citrate, better absorbed. But I doubt it. But, why the research in the first place?
Back in 2000, Dr. Michael Zemel published a bombshell paper stating that three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products can help us lose fat and get thinner. Dr. Zemel and his fellow researchers proposed metabolic pathways for fat burning inside our fat cells that were novel and attractive. Calcium acted as a fat-burning machine. The more calcium was stored in a fat cell, the more fat would be burnt. Genial for fat loss. Genial for weigh loss. Genial for Dr. Zemel and the entire dairy industry. We all went on the 2-to-3-non-fat-yogurt-a-day-diet. And yes, we lost weight (ah, we also watched our calories…) Dr. Zemel’s theory seemed to work. Thinking of it, it has not been disproved yet.
What has been proved, however, is that calcium pills, as supplement, do not have the same effect. Why is that? We really don’t know. It seems that MILK SOLIDS have a role to play in calcium metabolism, but that role has not been explained yet.
But don’t throw away your calcium pills either. Calcium citrate, taken between meals, is a good supplementation if you don’t drink milk or don’t eat yogurt. However, calcium pills won’t make you skinny.
So, if you want to lose weight, eat less, move more (ouch, I said it again!) and enjoy your 3 to 34servings of non-fat (sugarless) dairy (milk or yogurt) a day.
reference: Yanovski JA, et al “Effects of calcium supplementation on body weight and adiposity in overweight and obese adults” Ann Intern Med 2009; 150: 821-29.
Filed under: diet, calcium diet, dairy products, healthy eating, nutrition, obesity, weight loss
by Marie Dufour, RD. Calcium diet bites the dust… but don’t toss your yogurt out the window yet!
A recent study reported that calcium supplementation (1,500 mg of calcium carbonate daily) was “unlikely to have clinically significant efficacy as a preventive measure against weight gain in patients who are already overweight or obese.” Perhaps the results would have been different if the researchers had used calcium citrate, better absorbed. But I doubt it. But, why the research in the first place?
Back in 2000, Dr. Michael Zemel published a bombshell paper stating that three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products can help us lose fat and get thinner. Dr. Zemel and his fellow researchers proposed metabolic pathways for fat burning inside our fat cells that were novel and attractive. Calcium acted as a fat-burning machine. The more calcium was stored in a fat cell, the more fat would be burnt. Genial for fat loss. Genial for weigh loss. Genial for Dr. Zemel and the entire dairy industry. We all went on the 2-to-3-non-fat-yogurt-a-day-diet. And yes, we lost weight (ah, we also watched our calories…) Dr. Zemel’s theory seemed to work. Thinking of it, it has not been disproved yet.
What has been proved, however, is that calcium pills, as supplement, do not have the same effect. Why is that? We really don’t know. It seems that MILK SOLIDS have a role to play in calcium metabolism, but that role has not been explained yet.
But don’t throw away your calcium pills either. Calcium citrate, taken between meals, is a good supplementation if you don’t drink milk or don’t eat yogurt. However, calcium pills won’t make you skinny.
So, if you want to lose weight, eat less, move more (ouch, I said it again!) and enjoy your 3 to 34servings of non-fat (sugarless) dairy (milk or yogurt) a day.
reference: Yanovski JA, et al “Effects of calcium supplementation on body weight and adiposity in overweight and obese adults” Ann Intern Med 2009; 150: 821-29.
by Marie Dufour, RD. Calcium diet bites the dust… but don’t toss your yogurt out the window yet!
A recent study reported that calcium supplementation (1,500 mg of calcium carbonate daily) was “unlikely to have clinically significant efficacy as a preventive measure against weight gain in patients who are already overweight or obese.” Perhaps the results would have been different if the researchers had used calcium citrate, better absorbed. But I doubt it. But, why the research in the first place?
Back in 2000, Dr. Michael Zemel published a bombshell paper stating that three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products can help us lose fat and get thinner. Dr. Zemel and his fellow researchers proposed metabolic pathways for fat burning inside our fat cells that were novel and attractive. Calcium acted as a fat-burning machine. The more calcium was stored in a fat cell, the more fat would be burnt. Genial for fat loss. Genial for weigh loss. Genial for Dr. Zemel and the entire dairy industry. We all went on the 2-to-3-non-fat-yogurt-a-day-diet. And yes, we lost weight (ah, we also watched our calories…) Dr. Zemel’s theory seemed to work. Thinking of it, it has not been disproved yet.
What has been proved, however, is that calcium pills, as supplement, do not have the same effect. Why is that? We really don’t know. It seems that MILK SOLIDS have a role to play in calcium metabolism, but that role has not been explained yet.
But don’t throw away your calcium pills either. Calcium citrate, taken between meals, is a good supplementation if you don’t drink milk or don’t eat yogurt. However, calcium pills won’t make you skinny.
So, if you want to lose weight, eat less, move more (ouch, I said it again!) and enjoy your 3 to 34servings of non-fat (sugarless) dairy (milk or yogurt) a day.
reference: Yanovski JA, et al “Effects of calcium supplementation on body weight and adiposity in overweight and obese adults” Ann Intern Med 2009; 150: 821-29.
Filed under: diet, calcium diet, dairy products, healthy eating, nutrition, obesity, weight loss
by Marie Dufour, RD. Calcium diet bites the dust… but don’t toss your yogurt out the window yet!
A recent study reported that calcium supplementation (1,500 mg of calcium carbonate daily) was “unlikely to have clinically significant efficacy as a preventive measure against weight gain in patients who are already overweight or obese.” Perhaps the results would have been different if the researchers had used calcium citrate, better absorbed. But I doubt it. But, why the research in the first place?
Back in 2000, Dr. Michael Zemel published a bombshell paper stating that three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products can help us lose fat and get thinner. Dr. Zemel and his fellow researchers proposed metabolic pathways for fat burning inside our fat cells that were novel and attractive. Calcium acted as a fat-burning machine. The more calcium was stored in a fat cell, the more fat would be burnt. Genial for fat loss. Genial for weigh loss. Genial for Dr. Zemel and the entire dairy industry. We all went on the 2-to-3-non-fat-yogurt-a-day-diet. And yes, we lost weight (ah, we also watched our calories…) Dr. Zemel’s theory seemed to work. Thinking of it, it has not been disproved yet.
What has been proved, however, is that calcium pills, as supplement, do not have the same effect. Why is that? We really don’t know. It seems that MILK SOLIDS have a role to play in calcium metabolism, but that role has not been explained yet.
But don’t throw away your calcium pills either. Calcium citrate, taken between meals, is a good supplementation if you don’t drink milk or don’t eat yogurt. However, calcium pills won’t make you skinny.
So, if you want to lose weight, eat less, move more (ouch, I said it again!) and enjoy your 3 to 34servings of non-fat (sugarless) dairy (milk or yogurt) a day.
reference: Yanovski JA, et al “Effects of calcium supplementation on body weight and adiposity in overweight and obese adults” Ann Intern Med 2009; 150: 821-29.