February, 2001

by Mary J. Shomon

A recent study has found that women with the highest intake of calcium from dairy foods lost the most weight and body fat over a 2 year period, regardless of how much they exercised. The findings, which were published in the December 2000 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

The calcium/body fat connection is not new. Previous research has established a link, finding that those who with the highest calcium intake typically have lower levels of body fat.

The study focused on calcium from dairy products, and what the exact relationship is has not been established. The researches have indicated that a component of dairy products, conjugated linoleic acid, may be the agent.