Middle-aged women could maintain their weight by consuming adequate amounts of calcium, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analyzed calcium intake in 10,591 men and women aged 53 to 57 years.
The amount of calcium consumed did not make any difference in men, but women who took at least 500 milligrams of calcium gained 5 kilos of weight over a decade compared to 7 kilos in women who did not consumer calcium.
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Researchers do not recommend that women begin gulping down huge amounts of calcium, but say that taking it for other reasons like preventing osteoporosis might exert a beneficial effect on weight maintenance as well.
The reason lack of calcium seems to boost weight has been documented in earlier studies. It appears that low calcium intake will lock it away in cells, switching on a fat-forming process.
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