By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

CALCIUM IS NOT A “MAGIC BULLET” FOR SHEDDING POUNDS

Question: I've noticed at the grocery story recently that on some of the yogurt containers there are statements that eating yogurt helps you burn calories faster. It says that the calcium in yogurt increases metabolism. However, the label also tells me that yogurt contains a lot of calories. I'm not exactly sure what to make of this. Is yogurt really a diet food? Does it help you burn calories? I'd appreciate some advice on this.

Answer: This is an excellent and timely question. While reading labels on foods is a good habit to get into, you should not confuse the nutritional information with the advertising hype. Let me explain.

Recent small studies have suggested that adding dairy-based calcium to your diet can help you to lose weight. A study of 32 obese adults divided the subjects into three groups. The first group reduced their daily food intake by 500 calories. The second group reduced their intake by 500 calories and took a high calcium supplement. The third group reduced their daily calories by 500 and were given a high-calcium diet that contained a good deal of low-fat dairy products.

The folks in the third group, who consumed a high-calcium diet from low-fat dairy products, lost significantly more weight and fat that the other two groups. Next best was the group who had the calcium supplementation. The group that simply reduced its calories by 500 lost the least amount of weight.

These results are most interesting, but the dairy industry advertisements and label hype you’ve read don’t exactly put things in the proper perspective. I guess that’s my job! Notice that all three groups had a reduced intake of total calories and lost weight. Increasing the proportion of calcium in the diet, especially in the form of low-fat diary products, seemed to accelerate the weight-loss process.

In practical terms, this means that if you decide to add a cup of low-fat yogurt to your diet each day to help lose weight that it must be a part of an overall calorie reduction. Adding additional dairy to your diet without reducing overall calories will produce weight gain, not weight loss. This is the message that is often missing from the advertising blurbs.

Also, keep in mind that the study I mentioned had a very small number of subjects. Other studies have not produced such outstanding results. And still other studies are in process.

The theory behind calcium promoting weight loss is based on the fact that calcium is necessary to metabolize fat in the body. The idea is that added dietary calcium -- especially from dairy products -- increases the amount of calcium available for this fat metabolism process. But there are many scientists who don’t believe that added dietary calcium has much of a direct relationship with fat metabolism. More research is needed.

So what should you do? If you add dairy to your diet, you need to be sure to take something away of equal caloric value, or you will just be eating more, and this does not promote weight loss. Adding dairy to your diet is good if it is low-fat dairy, such as two-percent or skim milk, low-fat cheese and low-fat yogurt. Regular yogurt, as you say, is loaded with calories. A well-balanced, appropriate calorie diet that is high in calcium from a low-fat dairy source is probably a good thing because we know it promotes bone health. But, the jury is still out on its ability to promote weight loss. It’s certainly no magic bullet!

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701, or via e-mail to readerquestions@familymedicinenews.org. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnose and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at www.familymedicinenews.org.