Rumors have swirled around weight loss circles that getting more calcium could help you lose weight. But is there any scientific proof to back up this claim?
A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health showed that overweight and obese people who supplemented with 1,500 milligrams of calcium every day for two years experienced no loss of weight or body fat. Whether you get your calcium from your diet or supplements, weight loss doesn’t seem to be a side effect of extra calcium intake.
However, calcium does play some role in weight loss. Researchers at Université Laval’s Faculty of Medicine believe that when people suffer from a calcium deficiency, the brain detects the lack of calcium and seeks to compensate by spurring food intake. Eating more, or more often, obviously has the potential to derail weight loss efforts.
The bottom line is that a calcium deficiency can prevent you from losing weight, but taking supplements if you’re not suffering from a deficiency won’t be enough to increase your body’s fat burning. If you’re trying to lose weight and improve your health, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting an adequate amount of calcium every day in order to prevent sabotaging your diet, but calcium pills alone won’t allow you to lose any additional weight.
