Can Taking Calcium Help Me Lose Weight?

Can Taking Calcium Help Me Lose Weight?

Can Taking Calcium Help Me Lose Weight?

Research indicates that obesity is a major problem in the US, and obesity is linked to the high fat diet that we are following in our country.

Our daily diet consists of significant portions of high fat and sugar which eventually leads to the increasing number of obese people in society.

New research, sponsored by the dairy industry, has suggested that including calcium in the diet has a positive effect on weight loss.

But there is a new concept that Calcium can help with the problem of obesity. The dairy industry produced an advertising campaign focusing on how increasing our dairy intake could help with weight loss.

The studies that the American Dairy Association relied on in their advertising  found a link between the amount of calcium an individual consumes during the day and the their body weight.  The link focuses on the amount of calcium that is stored and the current weight of the individual.

The advertising campaigns rely on research that showed a relationship between eating three to four servings of low-fat dairy products each day and a decrease in the amount of fat stored in the body.  The theory is that by increasing the core temperature, the body will burn more calories at a faster rate.

The study also suggested that individuals who have the highest amount of stored fat will also show the lowest amount of calcium stored in the body. The foods that contain the greatest amount of  calcium are milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, baked beans, dried figs, broccoli and most dark leafy vegetables.  The research that was funded by the American Dairy Association did not include vegetable sources of calcium.

The  recommended daily dose of calcium should be between 800 to 1000 mg.  Unfortunately many Americans frequently only consume between 500 and 700 mg. Unless individuals eat a diet that is high in foods that contain calcium, they will have to take supplements in order to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.  We should note that the production of bone does not rely exclusively on the amount of calcium in the body.  Vitamins and minerals are also necessary for the body to manufacture bone.

In reality weight loss will always be related to the number of calories we eat on a daily basis versus the number of calories burned. The number of calories burned by increasing the core temperature of the body through stored calcium may not be great enough to offset the potential risk for the development of kidney stones.

So can taking calcium help me loose weight? Although it would be great to believe that just by increasing our calcium intake, we will be able to loose weight. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. There needs to be a strong combination of exercise and proper diet in order to achieve our weight loss goals. The current results of the studies that link calcium and weight loss are not conclusive and a lot more research will be required before a conclusion can be drawn.

You should always consult with your doctor before taking any medication or beginning any weight loss program.

For more information about weight loss medication visit our previous post