Take Calcium and Vitamin D for your femur—and your figure!

Take Calcium and Vitamin D for your femur—and your figure!
With so many advertisements out there for calcium and vitamin D supplements,
you probably know by now that they promote strong, healthy bones. As we
age, it becomes increasingly important to make sure we’re getting
enough calcium and vitamin D to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
But did you know that these supplements may also benefit your waistline?
New research shows that calcium and vitamin D supplementation can
actually help to reduce abdominal fat.
A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [1]
found that test subjects receiving calcium and vitamin D supplements
lost, on average, an additional 3.5 inches of abdominal fat (the
unhealthy kind that surrounds the organs) compared to those who were not
given supplementation. The fat loss occurred over a 16-week period.
These findings support earlier findings that adequate intake of calcium
and dairy products can help in losing and maintaining body weight [2,3,4].
The USDA recommends between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 15
micrograms (or 600 International Units) of vitamin D every day. Weight
Watchers recommendation of two to three servings of dairy products a day
(especially ones fortified with Vitamin D) will also help you meet the
USDA recommendations for these nutrients. Here are some great dietary
sources of both nutrients along with their PointsPlus® values:


Calcium (mg)* Vitamin D (mcg)* PointsPlus®


Fat-free milk – 1 cup 299 2.9 2


Yogurt, light, fortified with Vit F 304 2.6 3


Sardines, canned in oil, drained – 3 oz. 325 4.1 4


Fortified soy milk, non-fat – 1 cup 299 2.7 2


Salmon, canned – 3 oz. 197 11.6 3



Taking a daily multivitamin mineral supplement that contains calcium and
vitamin D will help ensure that you reach the USDA’s nutrient
recommendations. Another reason to “bone up” on vitamin D and calcium?
The risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease and Type 2
Diabetes decreases as your abdominal fat shrinks [5].
Maintaining healthy bones and decreasing your abdominal fat while
helping to reduce the risk of certain diseases—now that’s a
multi-tasking supplement!