Ask Dr. H | Calcium, dairy may aid in weight loss

Question: I've seen commercials that say eating yogurt can help me lose weight. Does this really work, and if so, how?

Answer: There are a number of small studies that suggest taking calcium supplements or eating a diet high in dairy can assist in weight-loss efforts. A study published in the May 14, 2007, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that in postmenopausal women, 1,000 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of Vitamin D a day has a small but statistically significant effect on preventing weight gain.

The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study reported that over a 10-year period, each serving of dairy was associated with a 21 percent reduced risk of insulin resistance - an obesity-related syndrome and a precursor of diabetes. A recent study in Patient Care showed that in the group that consumed the most dairy, there was an 8.5 percent weight loss, compared with a 6.4 percent weight loss in the group that consumed the lowest amount of dairy (same total daily calorie intake).

There are a few theories as to how calcium and dairy products might be "weight friendly." One theory is that calcium and Vitamin D help regulate fat metabolism by stimulating fatty acid caloric burn and suppressing the body's production of fat.

Calcium in supplement form or dairy might also help to decrease fat absorption in the digestive tract by forming calcium-fatty-acid complexes called "soaps" that accelerate the loss of fat in the stool. Another theory is that extra calcium prevents fat storage by sending a signal that the body no longer needs to store fat.

It appears that low-fat dairy products like yogurt, cottage cheese and low-fat milk do help facilitate weight loss as long as total caloric intake is observed.