Health Benefits of Dairy Foods
Diabetes Prevention
According to Anastassios Pittas of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, calcium and
Calcium and vitamin D have found to impact the pancreatic beta cells in order to enhance insulin secretion. In a recent study conducted by Pittas, pre diabetics who took vitamin D (700 mg) and calcium (500 mg per day) for three years had a smaller rise in the fasting blood glucose as compared to the people who took a placebo pill.
Though Pittas recommends calcium (1200 mg) and vitamin D (800 IU) supplement for all, according to him the natural sources should be most preferred.
Weight Loss
Research suggests that a lack of calcium in the diet can make one overweight. An adequate calcium supply makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight. When low in calcium the body thinks it’s starving and enters the emergency mode, releasing parathyroid hormone. This hormone stimulates the bones to release calcium into the bloodstream. The kidneys also deliver a dose of a hormone called calcitriol (form of vitamin D) to increase the ability to absorb calcium.
The trouble is that parathyroid hormone and calcitriol stimulate production of fat and inhibit its breakdown. As a result, the body stores fat and holds on to it stubbornly, even if on a
Rather than calcium per say, dairy foods in totality are markedly more effective in accelerating fat loss. According to researchers, other ingredients in dairy foods act synergistically with calcium. In a study conducted at the University of Tennessee, USA, it was seen that eating three servings of dairy products a day significantly reduced body fat in obese subjects.
Heart Protection
If low on calcium, researchers say, one is likely to have high blood pressure. The body releases calcitriol in response to calcium shortage, and calcitriol acts on the smooth muscle walls of the arteries, constricting them and elevating the blood pressure. Calcium may also help the nervous system regulate the level of pressure in the arteries.
The benefits of calcium on heart health have been stated in the famous Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1997. The study found that a healthy diet that included two to three servings a day of low-fat, calcium-rich dairy foods like milk, yogurt reduced systolic blood pressure by 5.5 points more than the control diet, and reduced diastolic blood pressure by 3 points more that the control diet.
Calcium also directly binds the fatty acids in the small intestine to form insoluble “soaps” that are excreted in the feces. Studies have shown that the ingestion of calcium (as calcium carbonate providing 1,200-3,000 mg calcium) results in a significant decrease of total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and significant increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Such changes may decrease the risk of heart disease.
Combat Mood Swings
A 1998 study led by Susan Thys-Jacobs, M.D., of St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, found that getting enough calcium could ease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It was seen that women who took calcium (600 mg supplements of calcium carbonate twice a day) experienced significantly fewer symptoms in two months and improved even more after three months.
The body suppresses the release of calcium regulating hormones if calcium supplies are adequate, but releases these hormones if calcium is not enough. Women suffering from Premenstrual syndrome appear to have elevated levels of these hormones during their menstrual cycle. Thereby calcium appears to ease most of symptoms like irritability, cravings,
Cancer Prevention
According to recent research calcium offers protection against colon
