Dairy, Calcium helps fat loss

August 12, 2005

I do NO dairy at all but take a look at this:

Effects of calcium and dairy on body composition and weight loss in

african-american adults.

Zemel MB, s J, Milstead A, P.

Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, 1215 W.

Cumberland Avenue, Room 229, Knoxville, TN 37996-1920. mzemel@....

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the effects of dairy

consumption on adiposity and body composition in obese African

Americans. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We performed two

randomized trials in obese African-American adults. In the first

(weight maintenance), 34 subjects were maintained on a low calcium

(500 mg/d)/low dairy (<1 serving/d) or high dairy (1200 mg Ca/d diet

including 3 servings of dairy) diet with no change in energy or

macronutrient intake for 24 weeks. In the second trial (weight loss),

29 subjects were similarly randomized to the low or high dairy diets

and placed on a caloric restriction regimen (-500 kcal/d). RESULTS: In

the first trial, body weight remained stable for both groups

throughout the maintenance study. The high dairy diet resulted in

decreases in total body fat (2.16 kg, p < 0.01), trunk fat (1.03 kg, p

< 0.01), insulin (18.7 pM, p < 0.04), and blood pressure (6.8 mm Hg

systolic, p < 0.01; 4.25 mm Hg diastolic, p < 0.01) and an increase in

lean mass (1.08 kg, p < 0.04), whereas there were no significant

changes in the low dairy group. In the second trial, although both

diets produced significant weight and fat loss, weight and fat loss on

the high dairy diet were approximately 2-fold higher (p < 0.01), and

loss of lean body mass was markedly reduced (p < 0.001) compared with

the low dairy diet. DISCUSSION: Substitution of calcium-rich foods in

isocaloric diets reduced adiposity and improved metabolic profiles in

obese African Americans without energy restriction or weight loss and

augmented weight and fat loss secondary to energy restriction.

ps. Thanks JW for the pork stirfry suggestion. I may be able to that!

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