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The link between dairy and weight loss is controversial, at best. Some studies have found an inverse relationship between increasing your dairy intake and the numbers dropping on the scale, while others have found the opposite.
According to a study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, increasing your intake of dairy products can help you shed pounds. The study looked at 322 overweight and obese adults aged 40 to 65. The researchers found participants with the highest dairy calcium intake–600 mg, equal to about two cups of milk a day–lost 12 pounds at the end of two years. In comparison, those who stayed on the conservative side of dairy–averaging only 150 mg of calcium or ½ cup of milk–lost only seven pounds. The researchers estimated that every 240 mg of calcium consumed was associated with nearly a 50 per cent greater chance of achieving a weight loss above average in the first six months of the study.
But calcium alone won’t cut it. The studies indicated it was milk proteins that appeared to inhibit the enzymes involved in fat storage. Still it is thought that increased intakes of calcium can boost excretion of fat through the digestive tract (i.e. in your poo), and thereby may play a role in weight management and preventing weight gain. However, another clinical trial published in American Society for Nutrition, along with other studies, found little evidence to support the link between dairy and weight loss.
So should dairy play a role in your weight loss program, or not? Simply stated–it depends on your body and your ability to become aware of the difference between how you look and feel when consuming dairy and while avoiding it.
When to ditch dairy from your diet
First thought which comes to mind with this study, who funded it? If it was the dairy board then it is highly questionable. However, I am a RAW milk drinker and truly believe in its health benefits. Pasteurized milk, on the other hand, is truly not good for anyone. The milk proteins are denatured upon pasteurization as is the calcium making it much less absorbable. As with anything, everything in moderation.
First off I would like to say congratulations to Ryan E. Parker! That is really great that you had the motivation and willpower to achieve outcomes that modern medicine, in all its complexity, still struggles to face head on in our society. Keep sharing your story and motivation!
As humans we are the only species that continues to drink ‘milk’ throughout our lifespan but we are also unique in that we drink the milk of other species. A valid scientific question arises from this as to the effects of milk proteins and hormones on the human body. On an empirical level consuming high quantities of bovine growth hormones seems to be a generally odd practice all together.
As to the study referenced in this blog and its internal along with external validity I quote the author:
“Our study merits discussion of some limitations. Participants were not randomly assigned to dietary groups that varied by dairy calcium intake, so we cannot directly show a causal effect. Results from the subsample of vitamin D measurements were more robust, but we recognize the limited sample size.”
The study was presented honestly as they truly could not show any causal effect. The scientific credibility, stemming largely from methodological flaws, is extremely lacking. Science at the end of the day is a practice of altruism; even in the motivation of the study findings the truth had to be told. This study should not be seen as valid information for the general consumer of healthcare or healthcare practitioners without further research into the intricacies of calcium and Vitamin D in weight loss.
An honest discussion about the in increased intake of lipids, triglycerides, xenogeneic growth hormones and proteins associated with bovine dairy product consumption should be central this discussion as well. Patients seeking to increase their calcium intake should diversify their intake sources rather than relying on dairy products alone. One of the above posts mentioned Natural Standard (The Authority on Integrative Medicine). This site also produces a great variety of monographs on nutritional products (among other things). I found some useful resources for more information about calcium at the site. I included the links below for anyone who is interested!
For Healthcare Professionals:
http://www.naturalstandard.com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/databases/herbssupplements/calcium.asp
For The Interested and Informed Healthcare Consumer:
http://www.naturalstandard.com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/databases/herbssupplements/patient-calcium.asp
For Fellow Mineral Water Drinkers (Cheers!)
http://www.naturalstandard.com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/news/news200608022.asp
Thank you for taking the time to read my post!
Major brands always give out their popular brand samples (in a way to promote the products) best place on the internet is “Get Official Samples” find them & enjoy your samples
First off I would like to say congratulations to Ryan E. Parker! That is really great that you had the motivation and willpower to achieve outcomes that modern medicine, in all its complexity, still struggles to face head on in our society. Keep sharing your story and motivation!
All of the prior comments make excellent points about the evolutionary aspect of this argument. Not only are we the only species that continues to drink milk throughout our lifespan but we also are unique in that we drink the milk of another species. From a scientific prospective it is completely valid to question the effects of milk proteins and hormones; but on an empirical level consuming high quantities of bovine growth hormones seems to be a generally odd practice.
As to notion of a possible correlation between calcium intake and weight loss the discussion states directly:
“Our study merits discussion of some limitations. Participants were not randomly assigned to dietary groups that varied by dairy calcium intake, so we cannot directly show a causal effect. Results from the subsample of vitamin D measurements were more robust, but we recognize the limited sample size.”
The authors of the study were honest in reporting that they ‘cannot directly show a causal effect’. Science at the end of the day is a practice of altruism; even in the motivation of the authors to publish compelling new study findings the truth had to be told (or it will be revealed through independent scientific analysis).
The scientific credibility of this study upon review seems to be on the very low end of low. An honest discussion about the in increase in lipids, triglycerides, xenogeneic growth hormones and proteins associated with increased milk based dairy product consumption should be more pertinent than a ‘theoretically possible’ effect that calcium may effect weight loss. This is not to be said that calcium is not an important part of the human diet; other sources of calcium besides milk based dairy products should be encouraged in patient’s diets. One of the above posts mentioned Natural Standard (The Authority on Integrative Medicine) and I went to the website. I found some useful resources for more information about calcium at this site. I included the links below for a variety of readers! Thank you for reading my comments and I look forward to hearing other people’s input.
For Healthcare Professionals:
http://www.naturalstandard.com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/databases/herbssupplements/calcium.asp
For The Interested and Informed Healthcare Consumer:
http://www.naturalstandard.com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/databases/herbssupplements/patient-calcium.asp
For Fellow Mineral Water Drinkers (Cheers!)
http://www.naturalstandard.com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/news/news200608022.asp
I’ve always told my patients that we are the only species on Earth that continues to drink milk after we are 3 times our birth weight and the species of milk isn’t even our own. You don’t get a puppy or a kitten until they are weaned and you don’t see adult cow nursing off of each other…cause that would be “udderly” rediculous! I teach half a plate vegetable and/or fruit, quarter carb, quarter protein. Losing weight is tough for most, but they seem to do well coming to my office for support. For those that can’t, I offer either long distance assistance or a program such as this: http://www.masters-nutrition.com . Take care.
I am not a fan of dairy/cow products. It seems a bit unnatural to go from human breast milk to cow’s milk. I have come across many patients that are quite sensitive to milk. There has been some claim that the hormones in cow’s milk may have affected children growth causing an acceleration of puberty. I am not sure if there is a correlation however it does cause a bit of skepticism. I usually recommend unsweetened almond milk. It has added protein and calcium. According to Natural Standard (The Authority on Integrative Medicine), almonds are a popular nutritious food. It has suggested that it helps with cholesterol due to its monosaturated levels.
I found this post on the Natural Standard blog:
http://blog.naturalstandard.com/natural_standard_blog/2012/01/calcium-and-vitamin-d-linked-to-reduced-stomach-fat.html
It reports on the same study as this article. The author here suggests that “calcium alone won’t cut it” and that milk proteins play a role in weight loss as well. I certainly do not disagree with this, but I would like to point out the role of vitamin D which this article did not comment on. Adequate vitamin D consumption is essential in the body’s ability to absorb calcium. In the study the investigators used a ratio of 3.5 parts calcium to 1 part vitamin D. If you read the scientific literature on obesity you know that the ratio of calcium to vitamin D is absolutely critical in weight loss.
If you haven’t already, check out the Natural Standard database (www.naturalstandard.com). They look at the scientific evidence for integrative therapies in the treatment of various illnesses. They have awesome information on therapies for obesity! It is a subscription-based service, so if you don’t have access just yet, you can go to their blog in the mean time. There is an article summarizing the best integrative therapies for weight loss, including chitosan and hydroxycitric acid! Here is the link:
http://blog.naturalstandard.com/natural_standard_blog/2012/01/integrative-therapies-for-weight-loss.html
Enjoy!
The program I’m on takes a negative view on dairy. Its reasoning is that the primary job of milk to to offer up nutrients to the new-born and to help with quick development of tissue. That’s kinda the opposite of what weight loss should be. I’ve stopped taking milk and have lost quite a significant amount of weight because of the program I’m on.
I’ve personally lost 180lbs since Dec 2009. My blood pressure was 160/110, now its 120/80. My cholesterol was 256 mg/dL, now its 176mg/dL. I’m no longer Pre-Diabetic and I’m in the best shape of my life. It wasn’t easy but I can say that everyone can do it if they have the right program.
If you’re interested in my story please head over to Zdiets.net
Cheers.
Ryan E. Parker