Weight Loss and Calcium
In a recent study reported by the University of California, San Francisco concluded that patients of gastric bypass surgery might be at risk of brittle bones due to disruption of nutrient absorption including calcium. When the absorption of calcium is impaired factors important to bone health are disrupted placing the patient at a higher risk for fractures.
This study supported previous studies that have had bariatric surgeons placing their patients on a calcium supplement following weight loss surgery.
Other studies have also suggested a connection between losing weight and taking calcium supplements? According to researchers people that are overweight generally have a smaller amount of calcium in their diet than people of a healthy weight.
Individuals on traditional diets or following bariatric surgery tend to lose more weight when taking the daily-recommended amount or more of calcium. The weight loss also tends to be from specific parts of the body - mainly the stomach and waist area which is where a large number of dieters want to lose it.
While researchers cannot fully explain why increased weight loss incurs with increased calcium it appears that there is indeed a connection. It seems that obese people are not getting the required amount of calcium that their bodies need.
Just what is going on here? Well, it is a known fact that when you don’t eat enough, your body tries to compensate by saving and storing as much fat as possible. It seems that it does the same if your intake of calcium is low, irrespective of how much, or indeed how little, other stuff you’re eating.
Researchers believe that when you don’t ingest enough calcium it causes changes in the body’s fat-storing profile and hormonal changes too, all of which leads to you putting on weight. Only when you start to restore the body’s calcium balance does your body start to reverse the fat storage allowing you to start losing weight.
If you are dieting or have had weight loss surgery you will want to follow your physicians recommendations. If your physician has not discussed calcium with you be sure to ask them about it.
