Calcium and Weight Loss

Relationship Between Calcium and Weight Loss

Is there a connection between calcium and weight loss?

Researchers have found that people who are overweight generally have a smaller amount of calcium in their diet than people of a healthy weight.

Recommendations and Studies

Current recommendations encourage men to consume 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg of calcium per day and women to consume 1,000 mg to 1,300 mg daily. People on diets who eat the recommended daily amount or more of calcium tend to lose a lot more weight than those who eat smaller amounts.

In one of the studies from 2004, 41 obese people went on diets designed to achieve one pound a week weight loss, over a 24-week period. The group was divided in to three groups:

Low-calcium diets with no more than 430 mg calcium a day.
Second group had same diet, plus supplementation to reach 1200 mg per day. (High-calcium)
Third group had enough dairy to reach 1100 mg per day.

All the participants who completed the study lost weight.

First group lost an average of 15 pounds. (low-calcium)
Second group lost an average of 19 pounds. (high-calcium)
Third group lost an average of 24 pounds. (high dairy)

There clearly does appear to be a link between calcium intake and weight loss and if you prefer you can take your calcium in supplement form, however, there was more weight loss when calcium came from low or non-fat dairy sources.

Help Your Body to Absorb Calcium

Calcium Researchers believe that when you don't ingest enough calcium it causes changes in the body's fat-storing profile and hormonal changes too, all of which leads to you putting on weight.

Only when you start to restore the body's calcium balance does your body start to reverse the fat storage allowing you to start losing weight.

So ok, now you know that calcium and weight loss is related and if you want to lose weight you must at least take on board the recommended daily amount of calcium. But that's only part of the story. If your body doesn't absorb the calcium properly, it won't matter how much of it you ingest.

So, how can you help your body to absorb the calcium you feed it? Well, a properly-balanced vitamin intake is necessary. And the very best vitamin for aiding calcium absorption is vitamin D.

There is one type of calcium supplement that is absorbed by the body more readily than others and that is coral calcium.

An added benefit of coral calcium is that it contains 73 trace elements and minerals that are important to your body.

Calcium Rich Food

High Calcium Foods: plain non/low-fat yogurt, skim/low-fat milk, calcium fortified soy milk, swiss cheese, tofu processed with calcium sulfate
Moderate Calcium Foods: calcium fortified orange juice, cheddar or mozzarella cheese, blackstrap molasses, pudding, frozen yogurt
Low Calcium Foods: cottage cheese, dried figs, broccoli, milk chocolate bar, pinto beans

Increase Calcium Intake

Start your day with a calcium fortified cereal and skim milk.
Top pancakes with low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit.
Have instant pudding prepared with skim milk.
Have calcium fortified fruit juices instead of soda.
Make a fruit smoothes with low-fat frozen yogurt and skim milk.
Drink calcium fortified soy milk.
Add steamed broccoli and tofu to a salad.

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