Abstract
BackgroundRecent evidence suggests that higher calcium and/or vitamin D intake may be associated with lower body weight and better metabolic health. Due to contradictory findings from intervention trials, we investigated the effect of calcium plus vitamin D3 (calcium+D) supplementation on anthropometric and metabolic profiles during energy restriction in healthy, overweight and obese adults with very-low calcium consumption.MethodsFifty-three subjects were randomly assigned in an open-label, randomized controlled trial to receive either an energy-restricted diet (−500 kcal/d) supplemented with 600 mg elemental calcium and 125 IU vitamin D3 or energy restriction alone for 12 weeks. Repeated measurements of variance were performed to evaluate the differences between groups for changes in body weight, BMI, body composition, waist circumference, and blood pressures, as well as in plasma TG, TC, HDL, LDL, glucose and insulin concentrations.ResultsEighty-one percent of participants completed the trial (85% from the calcium + D group; 78% from the control group). A significantly greater decrease in fat mass loss was observed in the calcium + D group (−2.8±1.3 vs.-1.8±1.3 kg; P=0.02) than in the control group, although there was no significant difference in body weight change (P>0.05) between groups. The calcium + D group also exhibited greater decrease in visceral fat mass and visceral fat area (P<0.05 for both). No significant difference was detected for changes in metabolic variables (P>0.05).ConclusionCalcium plus vitamin D3 supplementation for 12 weeks augmented body fat and visceral fat loss in very-low calcium consumers during energy restriction.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01447433, http://clinicaltrials.gov/).
Highlights
Recent evidence suggests that higher calcium and/or vitamin D intake may be associated with lower body weight and better metabolic health
We initiated the current study in subjects whose calcium consumption was below the cutoff value, with the hypothesis that greater weight reduction and a better metabolic profile would be seen in the calcium+D supplemented group than in the control group, independent of caloric deficit
A significantly greater decrease in fat mass loss was observed in the calcium + D group (−2.8±1.3 vs.-1.8±1.3 kg; P=0.02), which was 55.6% higher than in the control group, there was no significant difference in body weight change (P>0.05) between groups
Summary
Recent evidence suggests that higher calcium and/or vitamin D intake may be associated with lower body weight and better metabolic health. Findings from Zemel’s study of the agouti gene in obesity and insulin resistance demonstrated that increased intracellular calcium, resulting from a low calcium diet, resulted in stimulation of lipogenic gene expression, which increased lipogenesis and inhibited lipolysis, promoting adiposity [12]. It is suggested, that vitamin D deficiency increases appetite and decreases energy consumption by stimulating Agouti Related Protein/ Neuropeptide Y (AgRP/NPY) and suppressing the pro-Opiomelanocortin/ CocaineAmphetamine- Regulated Transcription (POMC/CART) pathway [13]. We initiated the current study in subjects whose calcium consumption was below the cutoff value, with the hypothesis that greater weight reduction and a better metabolic profile would be seen in the calcium+D supplemented group than in the control group, independent of caloric deficit
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