09.16.10
Higher dairy calcium intake and increased serum vitamin D are related to greater diet-induced weight loss, according to results of a study published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Israeli researchers analyzed data from participants in the 2-year Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT) [n = 322; mean body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2): 31; mean age: 52 years]. A representative sample (n = 126) was followed for 6 months for serum vitamin D changes.
They found that adults who drank the most milk (nearly 2 glasses per day) and had the highest vitamin D levels at 6 months, lost more weight after 2 years than those who had little or no milk or milk products—nearly 12 pounds weight loss, on average.
Researchers also found that each additional 6-oz. serving of milk or milk products (about 3/4 of a glass of milk) was associated with 10 pounds successful weight loss above the average, at 6 months.
More than 300 overweight or at risk men and women ages 40 – 65 participated in the study following low-fat, Mediterranean or low-carb diets for 2 years. Regardless of diet, researchers found participants with the highest dairy calcium intake 6 months into the study (averaging about 580 mg per day—the amount in nearly 2 glasses of milk) lost about 12 pounds at the end of the 2 years, compared to about 7 pounds for those with the lowest dairy calcium intake (averaging about 150 mg, or about half of a glass).
Beyond calcium, the researchers also found that vitamin D levels independently affected weight loss success and in line with previous research, milk and milk products were the top contributors to vitamin D in the diets of the study participants.