BONE HEALTH

Are You Losing More than Weight When Dieting?
New Study Reinforces the Importance of Calcium in Your Diet to Keep Bones Sturdy and Strong

(05/2007)

If you're trying to lose weight, you might want to consider drinking more milk. While previous studies have shown that weight loss can cause dieters' bones to weaken, a new National Institutes of Health study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that dieters with adequate calcium intake did not lose bone mass while losing weight.

Researchers instructed 44 premenopausal overweight women to boost calcium intake from food to 600mg per day while trying to lose or maintain weight over a six-month period. The women were provided supplemental calcium and instructed to maintain a total daily calcium intake of either 1,000mg or 1,800mg per day, in line with the recommended 1,000mg for women.

After six months, the dieters lost 6-8% of their body weight on average and up to 18% of body fat, yet had no signs of bone loss. In fact, women who lost weight and consumed a high calcium diet had small but statistically significant increases in total body bone mineral density, a measure of bone strength. Decreased bone strength can lead to debilitating bone fractures, and even osteoporosis – a serious medical condition of weakened bones that affects an estimated 44 million Americans.

Milk is the top source of calcium in the American diet and three servings of milk each day provide 900 mg of calcium. Experts recommend 24 ounces of lowfat or fat free milk each day to maintain adequate calcium intake and get added bone-building benefits of vitamin D and phosphorus from milk.

To schedule an interview with one of the researchers or to request more information on the study, please call 312-988-2067 or send an e-mail to vdallis@webershandwick.com.

Riedt CS, Schlussel Y, Von Thun N, Amiba-Sobhan H, Stahl T, Field MP, Sherrell RM, Shapses SA. Premenopausal overweight women do not lose bone during moderate weight loss with adequate or higher calcium intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;85:972-980.