Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is associated with decreased Abdominal fat

From: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2011/12/13/ajcn.111.019489.full.pdf

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is associated with decreased


abdominal visceral adipose tissue in overweight and obese adults1–4

Jennifer L Rosenblum, Victor M Castro, Carolyn E Moore, and Lee M Kaplan

ABSTRACT

Background: Several studies suggest that calcium and vitamin D

(CaD) may play a role in the regulation of abdominal fat mass.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of CaD-supplemented

orange juice (OJ) on weight loss and reduction of visceral adipose

tissue (VAT) in overweight and obese adults (mean 6 SD age: 40.0

6 12.9 y).

Design: Two parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were

conducted with either regular or reduced-energy (lite) orange juice.

For each 16-wk trial, 171 participants were randomly assigned to 1

of 2 groups. The treatment groups consumed three 240-mL glasses

of OJ (regular or lite) fortified with 350 mg Ca and 100 IU vitamin

D per serving, and the control groups consumed either unfortified

regular or lite OJ. Computed tomography scans of VAT and subcutaneous

adipose tissue were performed by imaging a single cut at

the lumbar 4 level.

Results: After 16 wk, the average weight loss (;2.45 kg) did not

differ significantly between groups. In the regular OJ trial, the reduction

of VAT was significantly greater (P = 0.024) in the

CaD group (212.7 6 25.0 cm2) than in the control group (21.3 6

13.6 cm2). In the lite OJ trial, the reduction of VAT was significantly

greater (P = 0.039) in the CaD group (213.1 6 18.4 cm2) than in

the control group (26.4 6 17.5 cm2) after control for baseline VAT.

The effect of calcium and vitamin D on VAT remained highly

significant when the results of the 2 trials were combined (P =

0.007).

Conclusions: The findings suggest that calcium and/or vitamin D

supplementation contributes to a beneficial reduction of VAT.

This trial is registered at clinicaltrial.gov as NCT00386672