Calcium Plus Vitamin D Promote Trim Waistline

Previously, studies have suggested a role for calcium and vitamin D supplementation to promote healthy weight. Lee M Kaplan, from Massachusetts General Hospital (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues enrolled 171 overweight/obese men and women, average age 40 years, in a 16 week long parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The test groups consumed three 240 mL glasses of a regular or light orange juice per day.  For both beverage types, the total daily dose of calcium was 1050 mg, and 100 IU vitamin D, per serving. Visceral adipose tissue in the subjects that consumed the regular beverage decreased by an average of 12.7 cm2, as compared with a 1.3 cm2 reduction in the respective control group. As well, the light orange juice resulted in a 13.1 cm2 decrease in visceral adipose tissue, as compared to 6.4 cm2 in that respective control group. Commenting that: "The effect of calcium and vitamin D on [visceral adipose tissue] remained highly significant when the results of the two trials were combined,” the study authors conclude that: “The findings suggest that calcium and/or vitamin D supplementation contributes to a beneficial reduction of [visceral adipose tissue].”