November 12, 2007 – Taking a vitamin and mineral supplement could help people who are dieting to lose weight, argue Quebec researchers in the latest issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.
Based on their clinical trial data1, conducted on 45 obese subjects, multivitamins, like those found in stores, would have had the effect of reducing cravings in women on a diet.
Vitamin and mineral supplements may compensate for the loss of micronutrients experienced during weight loss. The body would then feel less need to absorb food, says one of the study’s authors, Angelo Tremblay, professor of kinesiology at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University.
The researcher points out, however, that this is only speculation for now. The results of other work, about to be published, however, point in the same direction, he underlines.
“We believe that the diet of obese people is relatively poor in a number of micronutrients, including calcium and folic acid, which could encourage their body to demand more food,” he says.
Angelo Tremblay hopes, through his research, not to encourage people to take multivitamins, but rather to eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals that could compensate for their nutritional deficiencies.
Men with lower body mass Quebec researchers are also reporting the results of a survey of 587 subjects who regularly took a vitamin and mineral supplement. Men were generally lower in weight, lower body mass index, and better lean mass to fat ratio. |
This work sheds new light on a topical problem in public health: the current rise in obesity in the population. To lose weight, or avoid gaining weight, it would not be enough to reduce your consumption of calories, carbohydrates, fats or other macronutrients, but it would also be important to ensure an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Press.
1. Major GC, Doucet E, et al. Multivitamin and dietary supplements, body weight and appetite: results from a cross-sectional and a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Br J Nutr. 2007 Nov 1;: 1-11