Food For Thought: Calcium Isn't Just For Strong Bones

In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, obese women who consumed less than 600 mg of calcium per day, 60 percent of the daily recommended intake, followed a low-calorie diet for 15 weeks. The women were instructed to take either 1,200 mg of calcium or a placebo. The calcium group lost nearly 12 pounds over the course of the program, compared to just two pounds in the control group. Nearly 55 percent of men and 78 percent of women aged 20 and up fall short of the recommended 1,000 mg of calcium, which ramps up to 1,200 mg after age 50. If you supplement your intake don’t take more than 500 mg at once, as absorption decreases as the dose increases. And look for calcium citrate, which is well tolerated and absorbed efficiently.