Lower body fat with dairy intake

Girls who consume enough dairy products may stay leaner than their peers, according to recent research. A number of studies, mostly in adults, have shown that calcium may be the key factor in maintaining normal body weight and fat stores. One reason may be the nutrient's effects on hormones that help store calories as fat. Researchers from the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, found that among 323 girls (9 to 14 years old), those who got more calcium from dairy sources tended to weigh less and have less fat than girls who ate less dairy products. On the other hand, body weight tended to rise with intake of aerated drinks. The link between dairy intake and low abdominal fat was particularly strong among Asian girls, who made up 47 percent of the study group. However, girls in the study got relatively little of their calcium from non-dairy sources like certain green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, fortified soy-milk, and calcium added to orange juice and cereals. In the study, girls and their parents kept a record of the foods the children ate over three days. The researchers found that the average calcium intake fell far short of the recommended level for children in this age group - 736 milligrams (mg) per day, versus the recommended 1,300 mg a day. When girls did get relatively higher levels of dairy calcium, it appeared to make a difference in their weight and waistline. Aerated drinks have a lot of calories while milk has a range of nutrients, including protein and fat, which means it is metabolised relatively slowly. Aerated drinks contain only sugar, which is quickly metabolised, leading to a blood sugar surge followed by a sudden drop that triggers hunger. Consequently, drinking aerated drinks in place of milk is likely to add on weight.

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