Calcium’s role in women’s weight loss identified
Middle-aged women hoping to lose weight may find an increased calcium intake in the form of supplements to be beneficial, according to new research.
More than 10,000 men and women aged between 53 and 57 were analysed over an eight- to 12-year period by scientists at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Centre.
Although no connection was found between weight and calcium intake in men, women in their 50s who took 500mg of calcium supplements daily gained 1.8 kg less over ten years than women who did not use supplements.
Previous studies have made connections between calcium intake and body mass index but they focussed solely on dietary intake rather than supplements.
"Although more evidence from randomised clinical trials is needed before calcium supplements can be recommended specifically for weight loss, this study suggests that calcium supplements taken for other reasons (e.g prevention of osteoporosis) may have a small beneficial influence on reducing weight gain, particularly among women approaching midlife," said lead researcher Dr Alejandro Gonzalez.
The research appears in the July issue of the American Dietetic Association.
