Calcium Supplements Don’t Help Girls Lose Fat

Girls who normally consume lots of calcium in their diet have less body fat than their peers, but those who add calcium supplements to their diets do not lose fat or weight, new study findings show.The current results are “extremely clear cut that there is absolutely no effect of calcium supplements on body fat and body weight,” study author Dr. Arne Astrup, of the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark, told Reuters Health."It is possible that the effect of calcium on body weight is only exerted if it is ingested as part of a meal,” Astrup and his co-authors speculate “or the effect may be due to other ingredients in dairy products, and calcium may simply be a marker for a high dairy intake."Various researchers have found that people who report an increased intake of calcium or an increased intake of dairy products have lower body weights than those who consume less calcium or dairy products. One study showed that adults who consume higher amounts of calcium may have a lower risk of obesity.

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