Vitamin C and Dairy For a Sleeker Midsection

Increasing your intake of Vitamin C and dairy products may help reduce the amount of fat that accumulates around your abdomen. Researchers from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences studied the effect of Vitamin C and calcium intake on the waistlines of over 900 women between the ages of 40 and 60, and found that low vitamin C intake was associated with a 131% increase in abdominal fat accumulation, whereas a low calcium intake increased the probability of abdominal fat accumulation by 30%. Daily amounts of less than 56 mg of Vitamin C, less than 398mg of calcium, and low dairy intakes were found to increase the risk. Depression, smoking, light physical activity, unemployment, marriage, menopause, and high fat intake were also associated with central fat accumulation (1).

The authors mention that calcium seems to inhibit fat absorption, thereby having an effect on fat mass and body weight.

The results for increased dairy intake have been duplicated in several other studies. In one study published in the International Journal of Obesity, people that substituted yogurt for other foods lost a significant amount of weight around the midsection (2). In another, two separate trials were performed to determine dairy consumption on body fat and body composition. In the first trial, obese adults were put on either a low calcium/low dairy diet (less than one serving of dairy per day), or a high calcium/high dairy diet (3 servings of dairy per day). No changes in calorie intake were included in the diet. At the end of 24 weeks, body weight remained stable for both groups, but the high dairy group lost a significant amount of body fat, increased their lean mass, and lowered their blood pressure. In the second trial, there was also a high dairy and low dairy group, and each group decreased their caloric intake by 500 calories. Both groups lost weight and fat mass, however, the high dairy group lost about twice as much weight and fat mass than the high dairy group (3).

These results seem promising, especially for overweight individuals looking to improve their body composition. However, there have also been some studies that have reported increased dairy intake is not associated with fat loss, showing a need for further research to be completed to support these claims.

References

1. Azadbakht and Esmaillzadeh (2007). Dietary and non-dietary determinants of central adiposity among Tehrani women. Public Health Nutrition; 3:1-7 [Epub ahead of print].

2. Zemel et al. (2005). Dairy augmentation of total and central fat loss in obese subjects.

   International journal of Obesity (London); 29(4):391-7.

3. Zemel et al. (2005). Effects of calcium and dairy on body composition and weight loss in African-American adults. Obesity Research; 13(7):1218-25.