Weight Loss Tip #120 – Calcium and Vitamin D supplements help reduce body fat

If you’ve been struggling to lose weight despite efforts to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle, chances are that the calcium intake in your food is quite low. A study conducted by researchers from Laval University, Canada, in 2009 found that the consumption of calcium and vitamin D supplements may help overweight people to lose body fat [1]. Here’s why Indians should take calcium and vitamin D supplements daily.

The study included 63 obese women whose daily calcium intake was lower than 800 mg per day. They were put through a 15 weeks long weight loss regime where their daily diet intake was restricted to 700 kilocalories per day. They were also given two tablets of calcium (600 mg) and a vitamin D tablet (200 IU) each day.

Following that it was observed that there were better reductions in weight and body fat among these women as compared to the placebo group. The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal, concluded that calcium and vitamin D supplements during a weight loss intervention helped in weight loss among women with very low calcium intake. Did you know that 7 out of 10 Indians are vitamin deficient?

The researchers reported that this was because the supplements helped in reducing cravings for fatty foods. However, before you rush to your medical store to buy calcium and vitamin D supplements, consult your doctor for the right dosage. Before that, you could also undergo a calcium blood test to know if you are deficient or not. These are the 7 symptoms of calcium deficiency.

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Reference

1. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;85(1):54-9. Supplementation with calcium + vitamin D enhances the beneficial effect of weight loss on plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. Major GC(1), Alarie F, Doré J, Phouttama S, Tremblay A.

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