Impact of calcium in dairy products in combination with caloric restriction on body weight, hormones and health risk factors in postmenopausal women

We evaluated the effects of low (LC, ∼800 mg/d) and high (HC, ∼1400 mg/d) dairy calcium on body weight, body composition, glucose, insulin, leptin, plasma lipid profile, LDL particle size, and apolipoproteins (Apo B, CIII, E), in overweight/obese postmenopausal women (n = 56, average BMI of 33.1 ± 5.7kg/m2). The 3-month weight loss program involved caloric restriction (1,400 kcal/d) and macronutrient distribution: 51% CHO, 20.7% PRO, and 27.6% FAT. Using 3 randomly selected days, both groups average baseline dairy calcium intake was: 832 mg/d. At 3 months, LC was 861 ± 721 mg/d and HC was 1340 ± 494 mg/d (P \u3c 0.05). For HC, weight decreased (87.7 ± 16.0 to 86.2 ± 15.6 Kg, P \u3c 0.05), BMI decreased (33.5 ± 5.8 to 32.8 ± 5 kg/m2, P \u3c 0.001), plasma total cholesterol decreased (218.6 ± 55.3 mg/dL to 196.5 ± 45 mg/dL, P \u3c 0.05), LDL cholesterol decreased (129.2 ± 53.3 mg/dL to 103.8 ± 42 mg/dL, P \u3c 0.05), HDL increased (59.2 ± 15.7 mg/dL to 63 ± 12.2 mg/dL, P = 0.104), total fat decreased (36.1 ± 7.0 kg to 34.7 ± 6.9 kg), trunk fat decreased (18.3 ± 4.4 kg to 17.6 ± 4.4 kg P \u3c 0.001), plasma glucose decreased (74.7 ± 31.9 mg/dl to 71.1 ± 12.2 mg/dl, P \u3c 0.05) and plasma leptin decreased (32.5 ± 9.9 μg/L to 31.3 ± 9.6 μg/L, P \u3c 0.231). For LC group, weight decreased (86.4 ± 18.9 to 84.4 ± 19.6 Kg, P \u3c 0.05), BMI decreased (32.5 ± 6.6 to 31.8 ± 6.9 kg/m 2, P \u3c 0.05), LDL cholesterol decreased (104 ± 35.9 mg/dL to 93 ± 30 mg/dL, P \u3c 0.05), HDL increased (60.8 ± 15.9 mg/dL to 64.8 ± 12.5 mg/dL, P = 0.098), total fat decreased (37.3 ± 12.4 kg to 35.4 ± 13.4 kg, P \u3c 0.05), trunk fat decreased (17.1 ± 7.1 kg to 16.5 ± 7.6 kg (P = 0.27) and plasma leptin from 27.8 ± 9.9 μg/L to 25.2 ± 11.1 μ/L, P \u3c 0.114). Plasma TG, LDL particle size, mean, pattern, and apolipoproteins were not affected by this intervention in either group, while LDL peak size was decreased in LC (267 ± 11 nm to 263 ± 15 nm) and increased in HC (257 ± 9.4 nm to 259 ± 12.4 nm) with significant between difference between groups (P \u3c 0.05). ^ In conclusion, dairy calcium was effective in reducing TC trunk fat and increasing LDL-PS, while dairy calcium combined with caloric restriction was effective in decreasing weight, BMI, improving body composition parameters, leptin, glucose, insulin, insulin resistance and plasma lipids in this population.