Calcium and Weight Loss

While researching the possibility that calcium could reduce high blood pressure, Dr. Michael Zemel, of the University of Tennessee, discovered that test subjects had unexpectedly lost weight over the one year study, although there was no intentional reduction in calories. The individuals lost an average of 11 pounds. Additional research showed that body fat was significantly lower in people who consumed more calcium, and there was a dramatic reduction in levels of obesity in people with high levels of calcium in their diet. The high-calcium groups lost 7.7 percent of their body weight.

Another interesting facet of the study was that the majority of the weight loss from the higher-calcium group was in the abdominal region. The way fat cells handle fat is determined by the amount of calcium in the diet. Results indicated that if your diet is low in calcium, hormones are stimulated that signal the body to store fat.
 
Of course, calcium supplementation alone shouldn't be viewed as the ultimate solution for weight loss, but increasing your daily calcium intake may give that additional boost needed by many in the struggle to maintain healthy weight..