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A diet high in dairy calcium may aid weight loss, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity.

Dr Judith Bryans, Director of the Dairy Council and Registered Nutritionist said: “Previous studies have shown that consuming low-fat dairy, as part of a calorie controlled diet, may have a beneficial effect on weight, but how it may do this is unclear. It has been proposed that calcium may reduce fat absorption. This study therefore investigated the effect of dairy calcium on fat excretion.”

In this study men and women were given a high-calcium diet for seven days, followed by a one-week break, and then a low calcium diet for a further seven days. The fat levels excreted by the participants during both calcium diets were analysed and recorded.

Low-fat dairy foods were the main source of calcium given to the participants, and the researchers found that increasing dairy calcium from 700mg/day to 2300mg/day more than doubled the fat excreted by the participants. They suggested that the calcium may decrease the amount of fat absorbed by the body and this could potentially lead to weight loss.

Another new study, published in Nutrition & Metabolism, found that consuming three portions of dairy a day, as part of a healthy balanced diet may help with weight maintenance.

The subjects were put on a weight-loss diet for the first three months. Those who lost 10kg or 10% of their body weight, were then divided into two groups and followed for a further six months to see if they would maintain their weight. The first group ate three servings of dairy each day, while the second group ate less than one.

At the end of the study, both groups had similar weight and body composition despite a greater calorie intake by the group which had more dairy.

Dr Bryans continued: “This is another very positive study, as the researchers concluded that recommended levels of dairy may be included as part of a weight maintenance diet without contributing to weight gain.”

In this study a serving of dairy was 1 glass (240ml) milk, 1 pot (227g) yogurt or 42g hard cheese. In the UK, the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) of calcium for adults is 700mg per day, and to achieve this The Dairy Council recommends 200ml of milk, 150g of low-fat yogurt or 30g (matchbox size) of hard cheese.