Calcium and Vitamin D May Help Flatten That Belly

Calcium and vitamin D may help reduce intra-abdominal fat (visceral fat), according to new research

Getting enough calcium may help to control the type of fat that exists around the middle, known as intra-abdominal or visceral fat, according to new research.

Long-known for their essential roles in bone metabolism, calcium and vitamin D are two nutrients speculated to assist in weight-management and epidemiological studies suggest that increased calcium and vitamin D intake can lead to long-term fat loss. The evidence indicates that these nutrients may act at the level of the gastrointestinal tract by blocking the absorption of fat, or by suppression of hunger leading to reduced meal intake, prolonged time between meals, and reduced food intake on subsequent days.

Recently, two parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, studied the effects of calcium and vitamin D on body weight and visceral fat in overweight and obese subjects following moderately reduced-calorie diets. For 16 weeks, 171 men and women drank either regular orange juice as a control or calcium-and-vitamin D fortified orange juice three times per day. The fortified juice provided a total daily dose of 1,050 milligrams of calcium and 300 IU vitamin D3 (D3, or cholecalciferol, is the natural form of vitamin D synthesized in skin).The groups did not show significant differences in total body weight, BMI, or waist circumference. However, interestingly, the subjects who supplemented with calcium and vitamin D showed highly significant reductions in visceral fat.

“Our results suggest that, in overweight and obese adults, a moderate reduction in energy intake and supplementation of calcium and vitamin D in juice beverages lead to a reduction in intraabdominal [visceral] fat,” wrote the researchers.

These findings are notable given the combination of obesity in the United States, the harmful nature of visceral fat, and the number of Americans with a moderate-to-severe deficiency in vitamin D and inadequate dietary intake of calcium.

Folks can be certain that they are receiving the proper amounts of vitamin D and calcium that they need when on an Isagenix system consisting of two servings of IsaLean Shakeand Ageless Essentials Daily Pack. The products combined provide daily total of 2,320 IU of vitamin D3 and 1,600 to 1,700 mg calcium for men and women, respectively.

Reference: Rosenblum JL, et al. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is associated with decreased abdominal visceral adipose tissue in overweight and obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;95:101-8. doi: 10.3945/​ajcn.111.019489