Calcium Can Do That?, Calcium Benefits - Women's circle of health Newsletter

November 2009 - Vol 4 Issue 11

Calcium Can Do That?
Weight loss, cancer prevention and more
by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D.

You’ve heard it time and time again, without enough calcium your bones can become thin. You get it – calcium is good for bones. So why are 78% of women still not meeting their calcium needs every day? Perhaps strong bones just aren’t sexy enough? Maybe we need more motivation? So, what if I told you WITH enough calcium your waist can become thin. That should get your attention. Oh, and getting enough calcium has been shown to lower blood pressure and decrease the risk for colon cancer. A healthier waistline, heart and digestive tract – it might be time to give your calcium intake more attention!

Calcium for weight management

Calcium’s association with weight loss is nothing new. In fact, we first mentioned it several years ago in Calcium Supplements Strengthen Weight Management. Although findings on this topic have varied in the past decade, a comprehensive review conducted by the American Dietetic Association concluded “several studies demonstrate that low intakes of calcium and dairy products are associated with increased body weight, body fat, BMI, waist circumference and relative risk of obesity.” Health guru Dr. Oz shined light on the topic on The Oprah Winfrey Show when he told viewers that, "You can actually get rid of twice as much of that fat if you have calcium, adequate amounts of calcium, at least a gram (1000 mg), in your diet. … What happens is the calcium meets up with the fat and it forms a soap. That soap gets pushed through your bowel." In addition, Canadian researchers theorized that calcium intake may have an impact on appetite. In their study, subjects who were deficient in the mineral and then received calcium and vitamin D supplements exhibited four times more fat and weight loss than subjects who had maintained a low calcium intake (<600 mg). A small Drexel University study indicated that calcium intake make even help in preventing weight gain following weight loss. Finally, losing weight can lower bone density, so getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D is an essential component of any healthy weight loss program.

Calcium for heart health

Calcium plays an important role in muscle and blood vessel contraction. This could explain why getting enough of the mineral appears to help lower blood pressure. In addition, in the Canadian study mentioned previously, researchers determined that subjects who received calcium and vitamin D supplementation had improvements in their blood lipids including decreased LDL levels (i.e. bad cholesterol).

Calcium for cancer prevention

Although cancer is impacted by many factors including genetics and environmental conditions, a calcium rich diet has been associated with decreased cancer rates. Calcium intake appears to reduce the incidence of colon cancer in particular. In a large study conducted by the American Cancer Society, researchers found that study participants who took calcium supplements had around a 30% lower risk of developing colon cancer compared to participants who didn’t take supplements. In addition, in a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers concluded that, “Improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women."

So, if not for your bones, get plenty of calcium (and vitamin D which is essential for its absorption) for your entire body! Still need more motivation? You can easily meet calcium and vitamin D requirements with a real chocolate supplement. Adora Calcium Supplements are premium chocolate blended with 500 mgs of calcium and vitamin D, and they only have 30 calories per piece, making them a convenient solution for managing calcium and calorie intake.

References

USDA Agricultural Research Service. Supplementary Data Tables: Table Set 12, Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, 1994-96, 1998. LINK

American Dietetic Association (ADA). Effectiveness, in terms of client adherence and weight loss/maintenance, of the High Calcium (Dairy) diet.Evidence Analysis Library, www.adaevidencelibrary.com accessed 10/28/09.

Dr. Mehmet Oz. Dr. Oz on Food Myths. The Oprah Winfrey Show. www.oprah.com, retrieved 11/3/09 LINK

Genevieve C. Major, Francine P. Alarie, Jean Dore and Angelo Tremblay. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and fat mass loss in female very low-calcium consumers: potential link with a calcium-specific appetite control. British Journal of Nutrition 2008; 101:659-663.

Genevieve C. Major, Francine P. Alarie, Jean Dore and Angelo Tremblay. Supplementation with calcium and vitamin D enhances the beneficial effect of weight loss on plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007; 85:54-9.

Christopher N. Ochner and Michael R. Lowe. Self-Reported changes in dietary calcium and energy intake predict weight regain following a weight loss diet in obese women. The Journal of Nutrition. October 2007, 137:2324-2328.

American Cancer Society. Calcium May Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer, Vitamin D May Also Reduce Risk in Men, 3/20/03, www.cancer.org, retrieved 11/4/09. LINK

Joan M Lappe, Dianne Travers-Gustafson, K Michael Davies, Robert R Recker and Robert P Heaney. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. June 2007, Vol. 85, No. 6, 1586-1591.