November 5, 2010 – Daily consumption of dairy products rich in calcium and vitamin D may help dieters lose more weight, Israeli study finds1.
Researchers came to this conclusion by observing over 2 years the effect of the consumption of milk, cheese and other dairy products on 322 men and women aged 40 to 65 who were overweight.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following diets: low fat, low carbohydrate, and Mediterranean diet. The quantity of dairy products consumed was left to their will.
Results: Participants who ingested the most dairy products – 583 mg of dairy calcium, or the equivalent of 2 cups of milk per day – managed to lose about nearly 6 kilograms (13 pounds) after 2 years of the diet. In those who consumed the least (150 mg per day), the weight loss was 2 times less, or about 3 kilos (7 pounds).
According to the authors of the study, dairy calcium has anti-obesity properties resulting from bioactive components superior to those found in calcium supplements. This is particularly the case with milk proteins, which have the ability to inhibit certain enzymes involved in fat storage.
Vitamin D intake
In addition to dairy calcium, researchers found that vitamin D blood levels were higher in people who lost the most weight. As with calcium, this result was obtained regardless of the type of diet followed by the participants.
Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium by the body. It is therefore possible, according to the researchers, that high concentrations of vitamin D act on metabolic pathways that promote weight loss.
A controversial subject
This isn’t the first study to link dairy consumption with weight loss. But the subject is a source of controversy since other work has failed to show this association, recalls Marielle Ledoux, full professor and director of the Department of Nutrition at the University of Montreal.
“This study does not show a cause and effect relationship, so it is not known whether it is really the consumption of dairy products that leads to weight loss,” she says. It therefore does not guarantee weight loss, but it may limit weight gain. “
The majority of participants did not meet the recommended daily intakes of calcium and vitamin D at the start of the study, she notes. “If their needs were met, would taking more dairy products help with weight loss? We don’t know, but it may suggest that it’s important to make sure you’re taking the recommended intakes of calcium and vitamin D for weight control, ”she says.
The Israeli study suggests that it is not only calcium that plays a role in weight loss, but also the very constituents of milk. Therefore, taking calcium supplements would not be as effective. “In addition to dairy calcium, there are other substances, such as proteins and minerals, which are involved and further studies are needed to understand this,” says Marielle Ledoux.
Louis M. Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
1. Shahar DR, Schwarzfuchs D et al. Dairy calcium intake, serum vitamin D, and successful weight loss, Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov; 92 (5): 1017-22.
