Mineral May Improve Body Composition

Calcium does more than just support bone density in postmenopausal women—it may also improve body composition, researchers reported in a new study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 72.3 percent of American men and 64.1 of American women are overweight, and 35.5 percent of adult women and 32.2 percent of adult men are obese. Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 25 and obesity is defined as a BMI greater than 30. Body mass index is a calculation based on height and weight.

In this new double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, researchers investigated the effect of calcium supplementation on body composition in 870 post-menopausal women. The women were divided into one of three groups that received 1,400-1,500 mg per day of calcium plus a placebo; 1,400-1,500 mg per day of calcium plus 1,100 IU of vitamin D3 per day; or two placebos daily for four years. The women were evaluated for BMI, trunk fat, lean trunk mass and percentage of trunk fat.

The results of the study showed that the women who were in the calcium-supplemented group or the calcium and vitamin D3 group had gained significantly less trunk fat and maintained more lean trunk mass compared to the women in the placebo group. There was no difference in BMI between the groups.

The researchers concluded, “Calcium supplementation over four years has a beneficial effect on body composition in postmenopausal women.”

(To determine your BMI, go to: www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html.)

Reference:

Zhou J, Zhao LJ, Watson P, Zhang Q, Lappe JM. The effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on obesity in postmenopausal women: secondary analysis for a large-scale, placebo controlled, double-blind, 4-year longitudinal clinical trial. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010 Jul 23;7:62.