Calcium + Vitamin D Speeds Weight Loss? Maybe Not…

Calcium and vitamin D intake may be important for weight loss and weight maintenance. These nutrients are important for controlling appetite and metabolic rate. Australian scientists, in a review of literature, concluded that we have only limited evidence that increasing calcium and vitamin D intake promotes weight loss. Some studies lasting three to six months showed that increasing calcium intake, particularly in the form of low-fat dairy foods, increased weight loss by about five pounds compared to diets lower in calcium, but other studies found little or no effect. Low-fat dairy foods are rich in calcium, vitamin D and proteins, and are important in a well-balanced diet— regardless of their effects on weight loss. (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 65: 994-1004, 2011)