The milk industry would love for you to believe that the secret to a perfect figure is 3 glasses of milk per day.

The research on calcium and weight loss is far from conclusive, however, a recent study in a major medical journal suggests that calcium (along with vitamin D) may be useful in preventing postmenopausal weight gain.

In the study, the researchers evaluated over 36,000 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 years. They gave half of the women 1000 mg of calcium + 400 IU of Vitamin D per day and the other half were given a placebo (inactive vitamin pill).

After 7 years, they found significantly less weight gain among the vitamin users, primarily in the group with inadequate intakes of calcium when they began the study. So if you are not consistently getting 1200 mg of calcium per day (about 3 servings of dairy, preferably enriched with vitamin D), you might want to consider taking a daily calcium/vitamin D supplement.

In the chart below, you will find some of the best food sources of calcium. And you can get some of your daily dose of vitamin D from spending a few minutes in the sun as Vitamin D is formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately, as we age, the ability to form Vitamin D in the skin decreases so a Vitamin D supplement becomes increasingly important.

Calcium may not help you regain your college waistline but it may help keep you in your current pant size.

• Plain, low fat yogurt, 8 ounces=306 mg of Calcium
• Spinach, cooked, 1 cup=219 mg
• American cheese, 1 ounce=162 mg
• 1% Cottage cheese, 1 cup=138 mg
• Baked beans, canned, 1 cup=154 mg
• Canned salmon, 3 oz=181 mg

In good health,

Dr. Melina

About Dr. Melina Jampolis

Dr. Melina Jampolis is a board certified internist and physician nutrition specialist (one of only approximately 200 in the country). She is a graduate of Tufts University as well as Tufts School of Medicine and specializes exclusively in nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention and treatment.

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posted at 09:26:30 AM