Dairy, Calcium and Weight Loss

By Greg White


Is it true that eating one or two servings of dairy foods each day can help you lose more weight and lower your body mass index? Initial studies appear to show that there is definitely a link between dairy and weight loss. The benefit appears to lie in calcium's effect on fat cells, breaking down and burning up fat deposits at a faster rate than it is routinely burned. But before you start gulping calcium supplements, you should know that studies have compared the results of taking calcium supplements versus eating dairy foods containing calcium, and the dairy foods yielded the most impressive results.

Therefore you ought to be ready to eat as many dairy foods as you need and still shed pounds, right? Not precisely.

Remember that dairy and weight loss are not always equivalent. Some dairy foods are high in fat and calories, like whole milk, cream, cheese and yogurt. Those calories will still add up and forestall weight loss if you eat too many of them. Choosing fat free dairy goods is a better idea, since most low fat dairy products contain less calories. Even better, low-fat dairy goods don't seem to minimize the fat burning effect at all. The USDA advises getting 3 portions of dairy foods daily.

A serving size would be equivalent to 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 oz of cheese, or 1 cup of yogurt.

If you have got a sensitiveness or allergy to dairy foods, obviously you need to avoid them. But you may be able to compromise by eating lots of calcium-rich foods and taking a calcium supplement. Although the fat burning benefits appeared to be stronger when calcium came from dairy foods, that does not imply calcium supplements are meaningless.

These are some non-dairy foods that are loaded in calcium: broccoli, kale, kidney beans, garbanzo beans (chick peas), walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, sardines, salmon, soy-milk with added calcium, white bread, white rice, white pasta, figs, oranges, apricots. It is shocking how many non-dairy foods contain calcium, after you start researching it.

Dairy and weight loss appear to be a match made in heaven - but don't forget that you will still need to watch your calorie intake and exercise regularly.




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