Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Minerals, trace elements, Vit. D and bone health

Effect of a dairy- and calcium-rich diet on weight loss and appetite during energy restriction in overweight and obese adults: a randomized trial

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 67, pages 371–376 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives:

A diet rich in dairy and calcium (Ca) has been variably associated with improvements in body composition and decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. Our objective was to determine if a dietary pattern high in dairy and Ca improves weight loss and subjective appetite to a greater extent than a low dairy/Ca diet during energy restriction in overweight and obese adults with metabolic syndrome.

Subjects/methods:

A total of 49 participants were randomized to one of two treatment groups: Control (low dairy, ∼700 mg/day Ca, −500 kcal/day) or Dairy/Ca (high dairy, ∼1400 mg/day Ca, −500 kcal/day) for 12 weeks. Body composition, subjective ratings of appetite, food intake, plasma satiety hormones, glycemic response and inflammatory cytokines were measured.

Results:

Control (−2.2±0.5 kg) and Dairy/Ca (−3.3±0.6 kg) had similar weight loss. Based on self-reported energy intake, the percentage of expected weight loss achieved was higher with Dairy/Ca (82.1±19.4%) than Control (32.2±7.7%; P=0.03). Subjects in the Dairy/Ca group reported feeling more satisfied (P=0.01) and had lower dietary fat intake (P=0.02) over 12 weeks compared with Control. Compared with Control, Dairy/Ca had higher plasma levels of peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY, P=0.01) during the meal tolerance test at week 12. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 was reduced at 30 min with Dairy/Ca compared with Control (P=0.04).

Conclusions:

In conclusion, a dairy- and Ca-rich diet was not associated with greater weight loss than control. Modest increases in plasma PYY concentrations with increased dairy/Ca intake, however, may contribute to enhanced sensations of satisfaction and reduced dietary fat intake during energy restriction.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dougkas A, Reynolds CK, Givens ID, Elwood PC, Minihane AM . Associations between dairy consumption and body weight: a review of the evidence and underlying mechanims. Nutr Res Rev 2011; 15: 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Teegarden D, Gunther CW . Can the controversial relationship between dietary calcium and body weight be mechanistically explained by alterations in appetite and food intake? Nutr Rev 2008; 66: 601–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chen M, Pan A, Malik VS, Hu FB . Effects of dairy intake on body weight and fat: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; 96: 735–747.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Abargouei AS, Janghorbani M, Salehi-Marzijarani M, Esmaillzadeh A . Effect of dairy consumption on weight and body composition in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Int J Obes (Lond) 2012; 36: 1485–1493.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hall WL, Millward DJ, Long SJ, Morgan LM . Casein and whey exert different effects on plasma amino acid profiles, gastrointestinal homrone secretion and appetite. Br J Nutr 2003; 89: 239–248.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Veldhorst MA, Nieuwenhuizen AG, Hochstenbach-Waelen A, van Vught AJ, Westerterp KR, Engelen MP et al. Dose-dependent satiating effect of whey relative to casein or soy. Physiol Behav 2009; 96: 675–682.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gilbert JA, Joanisse DR, Chaput JP, Miegueu P, Cianflone K, Almeras N et al. Milk supplementation facilitates appetite control in obese women during weight loss: a randomised, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Br J Nutr 2011; 105: 133–143.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lorenzen JK, Nielsen S, Holst JJ, Tetens I, Rehfeld JF, Astrup A . Effect of dairy calcium or supplementary calcium intake on postprandial fat metabolism, appetite, and subsequent energy intake. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85: 678–687.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Major GC, Alarie FP, Dore J, Tremblay A . Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and fat mass loss in female very low-calcium consumers: potential link with a calcium-specific appetite control. Br J Nutr 2009; 101: 659–663.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sun X, Zemel MB . Calcium and dairy products inhibit weight and fat regain during ad libitum consumption following energy restriction in Ap2-agouti transgenic mice. J Nutr 2004; 134: 3054–3060.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Jacobsen R, Lorenzen JK, Toubro S, Krog-Mikkelsen I, Astrup A . Effect of short-term high dietary calcium inake on 24-h energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and fecal fat excretion. Int J Obes (Lond) 2005; 29: 292–301.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Zemel MB, Sun X . Dietary calcium and dairy products modulate oxidative and inflammatory stress in mice and humans. J Nutr 2008; 138: 1047–1052.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gupta A, Gupta V . Metabolic syndrome: what are the risks for humans? Biosci Trends 2010; 4: 204–212.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Goldberg JH, Kiernan M . Innovative techniques to address retention in a behavioral weight loss trial. Health Education Res 2005; 20: 439–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tremblay A, Sevigny J, Leblanc C, Bouchard C . The reproducibility of a three-day dietary record. Nutr Res 1983; 3: 819–830.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Frankenfield D, Roth-Yeusey L, Compher C . Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc 2005; 105: 775–789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Godin G, Shephard RJ . A simple method to assess exercise behavior in the community. Can J Appl Sport Sci 1985; 10: 141–146.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Vilsboll T, Krarup T, Deacon CF, Madsbad S, Holst JJ . Reduced postprandial concentrations of intact biologically active glucagon-like peptide 1 in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes 2001; 50: 609–613.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Parnell JA, Reimer RA . Weight loss during oligofructose supplementation is associated with decreased ghrelin and increased peptide YY in overweight and obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 89: 1751–1759.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Stubbs RJ, Hughes DA, Johnstone AM, Rowley E, Reid C, Elia M et al. The use of visual analogue scales to assess motivation to eat in human subjects: a review of their reliability and validity with an evaluation of new hand-held computerized systems for temporal tracking of appetite ratings. Br J Nutr 2000; 84: 405–415.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Thomas AP, Dunn TN, Drayton JB, Oort PJ, Adams SH . A high calcium diet containing nonfat dry milk reduces weight gain and associated adipose tissue inflammation in diet-induced obese mice when compared to high calcium alone. Nutr Metab 2012; 9: 3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Van Loan MD, Keim NL, Adams SH, Souza E, Woodhouse LR, Thomas A et al. Dairy foods in a moderate energy restricted diet do not enhance central fat, weight, and intra-abdominal adipose tissue losses nor reduce adipocyte size or inflammatory markers in overweight and obese adults: a controlled feeding study. J Obes 2011; 2011: 989657.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Halford JC, Harrold JA . Satiety-enhancing products for appetite control: science and regulation of functional foods for weight management. Proc Nutr Soc 2012; 71: 350–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Zwirska-Korczala K, Konturek SJ, Sodowski M, Wylezol M, Kuka D, Sowa P et al. Basal and postprandial plasma levels of PYY, ghrelin, cholecystokinin, gastrin and insulin in women with moderate and morbid obesity and metabolic syndrome. J Physiol Pharmacol 2007; 58 (Suppl 1), 13–35.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Ghitza UE, Nair SG, Golden SA, Gray SM, Uejima JL, Bossert JM et al. Peptide YY3-36 decreases reinstatement of high-fat food seeking during dieting in a rat relapse model. J Neurosci 2007; 27: 11522–11532.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Korner J, Inabnet W, Conwell IM, Taveras C, Daud A, Olivero-Rivera L et al. Differential effects of gastric bypass and banding on circulating gut hormone and leptin levels. Obesity 2006; 14: 1553–1561.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Essah PA, Levy JR, Sistrun SN, Kelly SM, Nestler JE . Effect of weight loss by a low-fat and a low-carbohydrate diet on peptide YY levels. Int J Obes 2010; 34: 1239–1242.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Barr SI, McCarron DA, Heaney RP, Dawson-Hughes B, Berga SL, Stern JS et al. Effects of increased consumption of fluid milk on energy and nutrient intake, body weight, and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy older adults. J Am Diet Assoc 2000; 100: 810–817.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Christensen R, Lorenzen JK, Svith CR, Bartels EM, Melanson EL, Saris WH et al. Effect of calcium from dairy and dietary supplements on faecal fat excretion: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Obes Rev 2009; 10: 475–486.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Teegarden D, White KM, Lyle RM, Zemel MB, Van Loan MD, Mtakovic V et al. Calcium and dairy product modulation of lipid utilization and energy expenditure. Obesity 2008; 16: 1566–1572.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Gunther CW, Lyle RM, Legowski PA, James JM, McCabe GP, McCabe LD et al. Fat oxidation and its relation to serum parathyroid hormone in young women enrolled in a 1-y dairy calcium intervention. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 82: 1228–1234.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Zemel MB, Shi H, Greer B, Dirienzo D, Zemel PC . Regulation of adiposity by dietary calcium. FASEB J 2000; 14: 1132–1138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Pittner RA, Moore CX, Bhavsar SP, Gedulin BR, Smith PA, Jodka CM et al. Effects of PYY[3-36] in rodent models of diabetes and obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; 28: 963–971.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Sloth B, Davidsen L, Holst JJ, Flint A, Astrup A . Effect of subcutaneous injections of PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 on appetite, ad libitum energy intake, and plasma free fatty acid concentration in obese males. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2007; 293: E604–E609.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Guo Y, Ma L, Enriori PJ, Koska J, Franks PW, Brookshire T et al. Physiological evidence for the involvement of peptide YY in the regulation of energy homeostasis in humans. Obesity 2006; 14: 1562–1570.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Zemel MB, Richards J, Milstead A, Campbell P . Effects of calcium and dairy on body composition and weight loss in African-American adults. Obes Res 2005; 13: 1218–1225.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Zemel MB, Richards J, Mathis S, Mildstead A, Gebhardt L, Silva E . Dairy augmentation of total and central weight loss in obese subjects. Int J Obes 2005; 29: 391–397.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Layman DK . The role of leucine in weight loss diets and glucose homeostasis. J Nutr 2003; 133: 261S–267SS.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Villareal DT, Fontana L, Weiss EP, Racette SB, Steger-May K, Schechtman KB et al. Bone mineral density response to caloric restriction-induced weight loss or exercise-induced weight loss: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med 2006; 166: 2502–2510.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Stancliffe RA, Thorpe T, Zemel MB . Dairy attentuates oxidative and inflammatory stress in metabolic syndrome. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 94: 422–430.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Sun X, Zemel MB . Calcium and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulation of adipokine expression. Obesity 2007; 15: 340–348.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Jenkins DJ, Josse AR, Wong JM, Nguyen TH, Kendall CW . The portfolio diet for cardiovascular risk reduction. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2007; 9: 501–507.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Statistics Canada. Nutrition findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2004. Overview of Canadians’ eating habits. 2004. Report No.: Goverment of Canada 2006.

  44. Gao X, Wilde PE, Lichtenstein AH, Tucker KL . Meeting adequate intake for dietary calcium without dairy foods in adolescents aged 9 to 18 years (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2002). J Am Diet Assoc 2006; 106: 1759–1765.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the participants for their role in this study and MC Hallam, DT Reid and J Tunnicliffe for assistance on test days. Special thanks to the dietitians at the Diabetes, Hypertension and Cholesterol Center for help with recruitment. This project has been funded in part by research grants from the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP 86460). KWJ was supported by an Obesity Training Grant from the University of Calgary. LKE was supported by NSERC and Canadian Diabetes Association graduate scholarships.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    K W Jones, P K Doyle-Baker & R A Reimer

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    L K Eller & R A Reimer

  3. Department of Physical Education and Recreation Studies, Faculty of Health and Community Studies, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    J A Parnell

  4. Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    A L Edwards

Authors
  1. K W Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L K Eller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J A Parnell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P K Doyle-Baker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A L Edwards
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. R A Reimer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R A Reimer.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

RAR previously held research funding from the Dairy Farmers of Canada for work distinct from this study. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Contributors: RAR, ALE and PKDB designed research; KWJ and JAP conducted research; RAR and LKE analyzed data and wrote the paper; RAR had primary responsibility for final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on European Journal of Clinical Nutrition website

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jones, K., Eller, L., Parnell, J. et al. Effect of a dairy- and calcium-rich diet on weight loss and appetite during energy restriction in overweight and obese adults: a randomized trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 371–376 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.52

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.52

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links