Weight Loss

Biography

Biography: Mohamed Saleh Ismail

Abstract

In recent years, several studies have reported a positive relationship between calcium intakes and weight loss, the highest the calcium intakes, the highest the weight loss. This association has shown in children, men, and younger and older women. Researchers calculated that a 300-mg increase in daily calcium intake was associated with a 3-kg difference in body weight (BW). The effect of higher calcium intake on BW is stronger in subjects with a larger fat mass. Two possible physiological mechanisms explained this relation. First: in cell cultures of human adipocytes, increasing 1,25(OH)2D levels can increase lipogenesis and decrease lipolysis. The concentration of 1,25(OH)2D increases when calcium intake is decreased. Second mechanism is fat binding in the gut, increasing dietary calcium intake increases the calcium concentration in the intestine, which in turn induces formation of insoluble fatty acid and bile acid soaps that are excreted through the feces, thus decreasing the amount of dietary fat available for oxidation and/or storage. In clinical trials, increasing dietary calcium intake by 905–4,000/ day increased fecal fat excretion by up to 8.2 g per day. Moreover, diets containing high amounts of proteins and calcium have shown to decrease BW. Nevertheless, studies reported a greater reduction in BMI when calcium is derived from dairy products rather than from supplements. Finally, there may be a threshold for calcium intake (800 mg/day) above which no additive beneficial effect exists. Some researchers believe that suboptimal calcium intake may increase the risk of developing obesity.