It isn't medical fiction or an old wives' tale: a correlation between calcium and weight loss does exist. If you are one of the millions of people struggling to lose weight, don't you think it would be helpful for you to learn more about this calcium-weight loss relationship?

You know that calcium is vital for healthy bones, skin, teeth, and hair. What you may not realize is that it can help you lose those unwanted pounds as well.

What Does Science Have to Say About Calcium and Weight Loss?

Numerous clinical trials and studies have been conducted to explore the relationship between calcium intake and obesity. Here are some of their results:

1. A study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health found that overweight people who consumed plenty of calcium not only lost a significant amount of weight, but that the body fat they lost was in the problematic mid-body area.

2. Results of a weight loss program conducted in Canada, with the results published in The British Journal of Nutrition, showed that obese women whose diets were deficient in calcium lost nearly six kilos (12.2 pounds) during the program. In addition to following a low calorie diet, the women took 1200 grams of calcium supplements daily.

3. An article in The Journal of Nutrition discusses implications of clinical trials that calcium may contribute to prevent obesity and the occurrence of insulin resistance syndrome.

Data suggest that the brain can tell if your diet is lacking in calcium, and then spurs the body to eat more. On the other hand, a scientific hypothesis suggests sufficient calcium intake can stop your food cravings or desire to eat more.

Best Sources of Calcium From Which You Can Choose

You can get your calcium from many kinds of food. Some of the plant-based sources are almonds, spinach, oranges, and peas. Fishes like sardines and salmon are also rich in calcium. Plus, of course, dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt -- though you should probably opt for low-calorie dairy products since you're trying to lose weight.

Calcium supplements are likewise an excellent source of this important nutrient. The right one can give you the daily requirement you need for health -- and it CAN help you lose weight. You have to remember, though, that a calcium supplement is not a magic diet pill. You won't get rid of your flab through calcium supplements alone. But combine it with a healthy diet and enough physical activity, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Keep in mind that it didn't take you one day to gain all those pounds, so don't expect to slim down in just one day either. Keep your head, and don't let your desperation to lose weight make you go on a fad diet that will only make you sick -- and which will have you putting even more pounds back again later.

Remember, for the best results, consult your doctor about the ideal weight loss strategy for you, exercise, eat healthy, and consume enough calcium. That way you'll experience for yourself the calcium-weight loss relationship at work.

This is the main mineral present in bones and teeth, between them they contain about 99 percent of the body's calcium. The remaining 1 per cent is used for various function in the body such as blood clotting, nerve signals, and muscle contraction. Absorption of calcium in the intestine is regulated by vitamin D. People who have problems absorbing vitamin D also have poor calcium absorption.

The body absorption of calcium can be enhanced by lactose, which is the sugar naturally found in dairy products. Conversely, the body's ability to absorb calcium is reduced by the compounds oxalate and phytate, which are present in vegetables such as spinach, beetroot, celery, and parsley.

People who are following a high-protein diet will excrete more calcium in the urine. It is for this reason that people who have kidney stones may be advised to reduce their dietary intake of protein.

The mineral calcium has been found to help weight loss. Studies have shown that when your dietary intake of calcium is increased, there is also an increase in the breakdown of fat and a decrease in the production of fat. As a result,body fat is lost.

This relationship was discovered when studies of children and adults who consumed higher levels of calcium and diary products were shown to have less body fat. Obese adults who were following a reduced-calorie diet high in calcium lost more weight and fat than those on a reduced-calorie diet with a low intake of calcium.

Researchers believe that each 300mg increase in calcium intake is associated with approximately 1kg(2lb) less body fat in children and 2.25-2.7kg(5-6lb) lower body weight in adults.

When calcium intake is low, levels of a hormone called calcitriol, which is involved in calcium metabolism, increase in order to help conserve calcium in the body. Calcitriol also causes fat cells to expand and increase fat stores in the body. Conversely, by maintaining your calcium levels,you can suppress the calcitriol and therefore help your body increase the breakdown of fat.

Calcium is found naturally in all the foods listed below, which contain at least 150mg of calcium per 100g of cheese, milk, yogurt, spinach, whitebait and sardines, white bread, canned salmon(eaten with bones), almonds, tofu.

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