Calcium and Body Weight: Clinical Studies
Data from six observational studies and
three controlled trials in which calcium intake was the independent variable
(and either bone mass or blood pressure the original outcome variable)
have been re-analyzed to evaluate the effect of calcium intake on body
weight and body fat. Analysis reveals a consistent effect of higher calcium
intakes, expressed as lower body fat and/or body weight, and reduced weight
gain at midlife. Similarly, studies relating nutrient intake to body composition
report negative associations between calcium intake and body weight at
midlife and between calcium and body fat accumulation during childhood.
There is a fairly consistent effect size, with each 300 mg increment in
regular calcium intake associated with 1 kg less body fat in children
and 2.5-3.0 kg lower body weight in adults. Taken together these data
suggest that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy
servings per day could reduce the risk of overweight substantially, perhaps
by as much as 70 percent.
Source: Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska.
2002
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