Calcium may help teens maintain healthy weight

Pamela Egan Practical Practitioner

 

By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE

 

 

Calcium may help teens maintain healthy weight

 

 

Calcium appears to help regulate weight into the teen-age years, according to a new study presented at the recent Experimental Biology 2003 meeting in San Diego.

The study let by Rachel Novotny, PhD, professor in the department of human nutrition at the University of Hawaii, found that girls between the ages of 9 and 14 who consumed more calcium on a regular basis weighed less and had less body fat than their peers who consumed less calcium.

In terms of calcium consumption, the research indicates that more is better. Her study showed that for every 300 milligrams of calcium consumed, girls were an average of 1.9 pounds lighter. This is in contrast to the widely believed notion that many foods high in calcium, including milk and cheese, contribute to weight gain because of their high fat content.

This new information underscores the benefits of calcium that are already well-known, including its importance in long-term bone health. Despite the health benefits of calcium, the research found that the majority of teenage girls are only getting about half the recommended 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day. Based on this information, teens are encouraged to increase their calcium intake. Novotny’s study examined a cohort of 323 teenage girls. Although the results of this initial phase of the study have recently been presented, the study will continue.

Many epidemiological studies already are suggesting that high calcium intake does not lead to weight gain.

Several recent studies suggest that keeping calcium intake close to the recommended levels will not lead to weight gain.

There are misconceptions about calcium’s correlation with fat. This misconception may relate to the fat content of high-fat milk and cheeses. But that is really more of a calorie concern than a calcium concern.

Total calories are still associated with overweight so, regardless of how much calcium is consumed, one still needs to watch their calories.

 

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