Does Calcium Help You Lose Weight?

Irregular eating habits, sedentary lifestyles, stress and other lifestyle issues are responsible for the ever-increasing waistline. Therefore, it is no surprise, that obesity has almost reached epidemic levels. Also with the work stress, people do not have a lot of time to spend in the gym, therefore they are always on the look for easy tricks to lose weight.

One of the latest tricks to have hit the market is calcium for weight loss. This brings up the question, is calcium indeed helpful in the process of losing weight. According to new research calcium and weight loss indeed do go hand in hand and should be an important weapon in the weight loss process.

Calcium is an important mineral required for the body. It has an important role to play in keeping the teeth and the bones strong and healthy. As a matter of fact, it is also important for blood clotting, muscle contraction, cell membrane function and nerve conduction. Other than these benefits, a new research has proved that one can make use of calcium for quick weight loss.

The research points to the fact that calcium helps in weight loss by converting dietary energy to heat as opposed to body fat, which is often the cause of weight gain. When dairy products (which are a rich and healthy source of calcium) are consumed, the body does not produce high quantity of fat, however, when the dairy products in the diet are cut down, the body starts producing high amount of fat.

This is due to the fact that the body produces higher quantities of calcitriol. It is a hormone, which triggers production of fat cells. In other words, higher the quantity of dairy products in the diet, lower are the numbers on the weighing scale.

Now that the fact has been established, that calcium helps in the weight loss process, the next question which arises is what is the right quantity of calcium that one should consume. About 1000 to 1200 milligram of calcium should be a part of the diet everyday.

This calcium can come from any of the natural sources of calcium. However, this dose of calcium should not be consumed at one go. It has to be divided over the day into three to four servings. The best is to include calcium rich foods in small quantities in all the meals.

The best and healthiest of the calcium sources are the natural sources of calcium. The healthy source of calcium are no doubt the dairy products. One can include milk, yogurt or cheese in the diet to increase the calcium intake. Since one wants to lose weight, it is important that only the fat free or low fat versions of the dairy products are included in the diet.

However, if someone is lactose intolerant, there are other natural sources of calcium, which can be included in the diet. Dark leafy vegetables, like spinach, lettuce, etc.; broccoli, sesame seeds, salmon, almonds, etc.; are also healthy sources of calcium. Including fruits like figs, prunes, etc., in the diet is also recommended to increase the consumption of calcium. Calcium fortified tofu can also be included in the diet by vegans or by people who are lactose intolerant.

Many people will want to know, if they can choose to take calcium supplements, so that they can take care of the daily intake of calcium. However, there is an interesting fact, when it comes to the use of supplements instead of the natural sources.

A research was conducted to find if calcium supplements have the same effects as that of natural calcium in the weight loss process. The research proved that taking supplements causes the person to in fact pile up some weight as opposed to lose weight. Therefore, it is best to stick to the natural sources of calcium itself to lose weight.

After reading the correlation between calcium and weight loss, you will want to include calcium in your diet. It is advised to consult your health care professional for the right quantity of calcium for your condition. The health care professional will also take your ailments into consideration, before he recommends the right calcium quantity for you.