Effect of short-term high dietary calcium intake on 24-h energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and fecal fat excretion

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Observational studies have shown an inverse association between dietary calcium intake and body weight, and a causal relation is likely. However, the underlying mechanisms are not understood. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether high and low calcium intakes from mainly low-fat dairy products, in diets high or normal in protein content, have effects on 24-h energy expenditure (EE) and substrate oxidation, fecal energy and fat excretion, and concentrations of substrates and hormones involved in energy metabolism and appetite. DESIGN: In all, 10 subjects participated in a randomized crossover study of three isocaloric 1-week diets with: low calcium and normal protein (LC/NP: 500 mg calcium, 15% of energy (E%) from protein), high calcium and normal protein (HC/NP: 1800 mg calcium, 15E% protein), and high calcium and high protein (HC/HP: 1800 mg calcium, 23E% protein). RESULTS: The calcium intake had no effect on 24-h EE or fat oxidation, but fecal fat excretion increased B2.5-fold during the HC/NP diet compared with the LC/NP and the HC/HP diets (14.2 vs 6.0 and 5.9 g/day; Po0.05). The HC/NP diet also increased fecal energy excretion as compared with the LC/NP and the HC/HP diets (1045 vs 684 and 668 kJ/day; Po0.05). There were no effects on blood cholesterol, free fatty acids, triacylglycerol, insulin, leptin, or thyroid hormones. CONCLUSIONS: A short-term increase in dietary calcium intake, together with a normal protein intake, increased fecal fat and energy excretion by B350 kJ/day. This observation may contribute to explain why a high-calcium diet produces weight loss, and it suggests that an interaction with dietary protein level may be important.

Milk intake is inversely related to obesity in men and in young women: data from the Portuguese Health Interview Survey 1998–1999

“…Conversely, decreased dietary calcium intake may lead to increased intracellular calcium levels, which in turn may trigger an increase in lipogenesis and body fat. 20 Another possible mechanism by which calcium intake reduces BMI would be by increased fecal fat excretion, as recently suggested by Jacobsen et al 24 This study has several limitations: height and weight were self-reported, leading to a possible underestimation of overweight and obesity. 25,26 Still, reported height and weight data have been used in other epidemiological studies 27 and the bias is conservative, since overweight or obese subjects (misclassified as normal or overweight, respectively) would tend to decrease milk consumption in normal and overweight groups, thus decreasing the magnitude of the observed differences.…”

Bioactive food stimulants of sympathetic activity: effect on 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation

“…The mode of action may be through a decrease in the intracellular Ca 2 þ levels in adipocytes, followed by a decrease in lipogenic gene expression and activity, thereby promoting lipolysis (Zemel et al, 2000;Zemel, 2002;Parrikh & Yanovski, 2003). Furthermore, some studies suggest that dietary calcium can bind fatty acid in the gut and thereby decrease fat absorption (Welberg et al, 1994;Jacobsen et al, 2005). However, there are some inconsistencies in the evidence of the weight-reducing effect of calcium, (Barr, 2003) and further studies are needed.…”

Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and fat mass loss in female very low-calcium consumers: potential link with a calcium-specific appetite control

“…Indeed, based on results showing that women consuming less than 600 mg calcium/d had an increased percentage body fat (4) , the existence of a threshold of usual calcium intake below which a supplementation in this mineral would effectively promote fat mass loss is possible. The first objective of the present study was to investigate this hypothesis and to assess the impact of a calcium plus vitamin D (calciumþD) supplementation on the outcome of a weightreducing programme in female low-and very low-calcium consumer (VL-CC) overweight/obese subjects.Up to now, the potential effect of calcium on energy balance and adiposity has been explained by a suppression of calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) which decreases intra-adipocyte calcium influx and concentration (5) leading to a reduced lipogenic gene expression and stimulation of lipolysis and adipocytes uncoupling protein 2 expression (6,7) .Moreover, a diet high in calcium was also shown to increase 24 h lipid oxidation (8) and to reduce lipid absorption due to the intestinal formation of calcium-fatty acids insoluble 'soaps' that are excreted in the faeces (9) . From another perspective, the idea of a 'calcium-specific appetite control' was proposed by Tordoff (10) who documented the possibility that low calcium intake or stores might trigger episodes of increased desire to eat and stimulate motivation to seek out or choose calcium-containing items, and potentially other nutrients and/or food 'recognised' as calcium-rich (10) .…”

“…Moreover, a diet high in calcium was also shown to increase 24 h lipid oxidation (8) and to reduce lipid absorption due to the intestinal formation of calcium-fatty acids insoluble 'soaps' that are excreted in the faeces (9) . From another perspective, the idea of a 'calcium-specific appetite control' was proposed by Tordoff (10) who documented the possibility that low calcium intake or stores might trigger episodes of increased desire to eat and stimulate motivation to seek out or choose calcium-containing items, and potentially other nutrients and/or food 'recognised' as calcium-rich (10) .…”