Are you dieting your way to bone loss?
Are you aware that the diet you follow may be depleting your bones of essential nutrients and increasing your chances of developing osteoporosis? Popular diets may promise quick weight loss, but calcium and other important nutrients are often missing from the menu, which can lead to bone loss.
And women who consistently limit what they eat to avoid gaining weight may undermine the health of their bones, according to a study by ARS researchers in California. (1)
The study looked at the eating behavior of women between the ages of 18 and 50 and found that those classified as "restrained eaters" had significantly lower bone mineral density and bone mineral content (key indicators of overall bone strength and health) than women who said they weren't concerned about what they ate.
"Exercise and eating a well-balanced diet with adequate calcium, are two of the best ways to keep your bones strong and healthy." advise the researchers.
Calcium is not only good for your bones but can help you maintain a healthy, low fat diet too. There has been increasing media coverage about numerous studies showing that a diet rich in calcium helps reduce body fat.
Why is calcium important in weight loss?
Calcium is a fat burner. High-calcium diets seem to favor burning rather than storing fat. Researchers say this is because calcium stored in fat cells plays an important role in fat storage and breakdown.
Calcium changes the efficiency of weight loss . In fact, study after study has shown that the people with the highest calcium intake overall weighed the least, and the people with the lowest calcium intake had the highest percentage of body fat. (2,3,4)
When overall calorie consumption is accounted for, calcium not only helps keep weight in check, but can be associated specifically with decreases in body fat. A low daily calcium intake is associated with greater tendency to gain weight, particularly in women. (5)
Researchers found that adolescent girls who consumed more calcium weighed less and had less body fat than girls who consumed the same amount of calories from other sources. (6)
Previous studies have shown that a higher calcium intake can block body fat production in adults and preschool children (7), but this was one of the first studies to show that it might have the same effect in body-conscious preteen and teenage girls.
But aren't dairy products fattening?
Some dieters consider dairy products to be fattening, but the evidence suggests the opposite is true.
Consumption of calcium-rich dairy foods can actually help to reduce and prevent obesity. Over 20 recent studies show that milk products actually contribute to weight loss.
A new study in obese adults, presented at the First Annual Nutrition Week Conference, showed that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day could reduce the risk of obesity by as much as 70 percent. (8)
The study provided clinching evidence that calcium in low-fat dairy products can help adjust your body's fat-burning machinery and help keep your weight under control.
In another study, obese subjects placed on a high-calcium diet, with yogurt as the calcium source, showed markedly greater fat loss than those on a low-calcium diet. (9)
Numerous studies have shown that dairy calcium is more effective in reducing body fat than other forms of calcium. (10)
Why does diary calcium work so well?
Researchers believe that other nutrients found in milk products act in synergy with calcium to reduce fat more efficiently.
Glycomacropeptides (found in whey proteins derived from milk) in particular, are known to create feelings of satiety and fullness and decrease food intake. (11,12,13)
Foods that are a good source of calcium include cheese, milk, ice cream, baked beans and other dried legumes, dried figs, broccoli, most dark-green leafy vegetables, and soft fish bones like those in canned salmon.
Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not provided by medical professionals and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.
References:
1. April 1999; Agricultural Research magazine
2. Zemel MB et al. [2000. FASEB J 14:1132-1138.]
3. Zemel MB. 2002. [J Am Coll Nutr 21: 146S-151S.]
4. Shi H et al. [2001. FASEB J 5:291-293.]
5. Jacqmain M et al. [2003. Am J Clin Nutr 77:1448-1452.]
6. Novotny R et al. [2003. Poster Presentation, Experimental Biology Meeting, April, San Diego, CA.]
7. Carruth BR and Skinner JD. [2001. T Int J Obesity Relat Metab Disord 25:559-566.]
8. Zemel MB et al. [Obes Res. 2004 Apr;12(4):582-90.]
9. Zemel MB et al. [2003. FASEB J A1088:679.3]
10. Heaney, R.P., Davies, K.M., Barger-Lux, M.J. [Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21(2), 2002, pages 152S-155S.]
11. Gibbs J, Young RC, Smith GP.J Comp [Physiol Psychol 1973 Sep;84(3):488-95]
12. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA, Schneider BS, Grinker JA. [Science 1981 May 8;212(4495):687-9]
13. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA. [Physiol Behav 1981 Jun;26(6):979-83]
Copyright © 2004 Priya Shah
________________________________________________
Priya Shah is the Editor of The Glutathione Report and the webmaster of http://www.1whey2health.com
Visit Natural Weight Loss Tips for more articles, tips and resources on weight loss.
________________________________________________
If it seems that you have been eating as usual... Read More
I am so grateful that you're taking steps to take... Read More
Everyone from politicians to parents is talking about fighting the... Read More
How to Estimate How Many Calories You Can Have and... Read More
Many people (especially on the net) claim that you can... Read More
Both men and women around the world are becoming fatter... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
Finding Mad Cow in Oregon puts a new wrinkle in... Read More
Do you tend to find your weight increases when you... Read More
Stop Being Influenced by Food Ads on TVThere is much... Read More
For the past several years one subject has been coming... Read More
Eighteen or twenty years ago, I was into high protein,... Read More
Some of you will not like what I have to... Read More
Whole grains and weight loss have a definite, scientific, and... Read More
The best way you can get rid of your pop... Read More
Maybe you losing weight comes down to the simple question,... Read More
To continue the educational series on your health and fitness... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go AwayFad diets come... Read More
"Unless that apple tastes like the best apple you've ever... Read More
The Zone Diet as a weight loss program has been... Read More
As hoards of low-carb proponents invade the nutritional landscape, the... Read More
Being over weight is usually being 20 percent or more... Read More
Welcome to lesson #2. First of all, I believe that... Read More
The cost of a tummy tuck is something to consider... Read More
1. Increase your fiber intake. The body needs a lot... Read More
Weight loss is never easy. Although this is stating the... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
New Medical Research shows high-intensity exercise can increase the body's... Read More
Frankie saddled up to the bar at the We-Stuff-Em-All Diner,... Read More
Are you often overcome with an urge to splurge on... Read More
Obesity still remains one of the commonest avoidable causes of... Read More
We, as a society, are always trying to lose weight.... Read More
Each month I receive hundreds of e-mails from consumers who... Read More
You could try one of the many sexual enhancement drugs... Read More
To lose weight and keep it off you need an... Read More
The words I read made me furious. There it was,... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
REDUCE YOUR WEIGHTNow you are not very far from losing... Read More
The following are diet tips that can help you shape... Read More
To see the "low carb" diets on the way out... Read More
When losing weight, most of us don't have the time... Read More
Mindfulness is all about paying attention. It's amazing what can... Read More
NLP Setting an Anchor Process to Get Back Motivation for... Read More
Some of my dieting tips are not conventional. You can... Read More
Losing weight and going on a diet can be quite... Read More
Do a little people-watching, next time you're in the grocery... Read More
At the beginning of December, WeightWatchers.com announced the release of... Read More
I am Dr Patrick Flanagan, and this is the latest... Read More
Dieting will continue to fail most dieters, unless personalized weight... Read More
Weight loss surgery is fast becoming a very popular way... Read More
Motivation is a factor often overlooked when it comes to... Read More
Are you gaining weight sitting in front of the computer?... Read More
We all know that weight loss is important. We know... Read More
"Your Eyes are Bigger Than Your Stomach""Your eyes are bigger... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #1) Train With WeightsWorking out with weights... Read More
The fear of success arises in patients when they realize... Read More
Atkins Nutritionals recently announced that they are filing for Chapter... Read More
There's a two hundred year history of people prescribing both... Read More
If you know someone that has been trying to lose... Read More
The Atkins diet can be boring because of the limited... Read More
You have been on diets before. You probably have lost... Read More
Eating the right foods and exercising regularly have been the... Read More
When most people begin a Weight Loss program or diet... Read More
Do You Sometimes Eat Because You're Afraid You'll "Miss Out"... Read More
How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than... Read More
Weight Loss |