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Possible benefits of a calcium-rich diet for girls
APPLICATIONS
Possible Benefits of a Calcium-Rich Diet for Girls
W
ith great attention given to the impact of calciumrich diets on weight control, the research by Lappe and colleagues adds timely insight on this topic as it relates to young girls. This 2-year pilot study set out to determine if pubertal girls assigned to a calcium-rich diet would have a significant weight gain above pubertal girls who had a usual calcium intake (1). All of the 59 girls were premenarcheal and in Tanner stage one. They were divided into two groups: a treatment group (girls who were educated to increase consumption of calcium to 1,500 mg/day) and a control group (girls who were asked to maintain their usual intake). The most common foods consumed by the treatment group included milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. The results from the two groups were very similar; however, there was a difference in the nutrient intake between the groups. The treatment group saw an increased intake of vitamins A and D, protein, phosphorus, and magnesium. The control group only saw an increased intake of iron and zinc. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, once kids reach puberty, they need a daily calcium intake of 1,300 mg/day (2). This research provides information that may help teenagers to understand that consuming calcium-rich foods with the recommended intake (around 1,300 mg of calcium) will not cause them to gain weight. It may help to persuade parents to make high-calcium foods available for girls without having to worry about their children gaining weight. Even though most of the calcium-rich foods have a high fat content, there was little difference in the fat intake between the treatment and control groups. The control and treatment group diets had 33% of the total calories from fat. This represents the ability of these young girls to make healthful, lower-fat dairy choices when educated. It is shown in the study that the increased intake of calcium increases the intake of other important nutrients the body needs. For preteens, this is important for normal development of their bodies. Dietetics professionals can immediately use this infor-
This article was written by Evelyn Ford Crayton, EdD, RD, professor, Nutrition and Food Sciences, and assistant director, Family and Community Programs, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2004.06.006
1368
September 2004 Volume 104 Number 9
mation to make decisions about their patients, especially if they are female. One is to recommend that clients follow the Food Guide Pyramid for dairy foods. Another one is to recommend that high intakes of calcium-rich foods are helpful in overall nutrient intake. Females need a regular intake of calcium to promote bone density. They also need the calcium to delay and/or prevent the onset of osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis can become a very debilitating disease that decreases the bone density and causes them to become brittle. Another issue that may be considered based on this research is the theory that a high-calcium diet will aid in weight loss. Zemel reported that increasing dietary calcium accelerates weight and fat loss secondary to caloric restriction and also shifts the distribution of fat loss to a more favorable pattern, with more fat lost from the abdominal region on the high-calcium diet (3). By reaffirming to preteens that milk does not promote weight gain, you will encourage them to drink even more milk and in turn increase their calcium intake and keep them from depending on other drinks, such as sodas. In 2000, a cohort study for the purpose of investigating eating patterns and food choices followed 291 Minnesota children from the third grade to the eighth grade. Their findings showed that milk consumption dropped by about 10 percentage points (from 98.6% to 90.1%), while soft drink consumption increased dramatically from 2.4% to 57.1% between the third and eighth grade (4). All of these factors are to be considered by dietetics professionals in making recommendations for calcium-rich foods in the diet. References 1. Lappe JM, Rafferty KA, Davies KM, Lypaczewski G. Girls on a high-calcium diet gain weight at the same rate as girls on a normal diet: A pilot study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104:1361-1367. 2. American Academy of Pediatrics. Calcium: Getting What You Need. 2002. Available at: http://www. aap.org/healthtopics/nutrition.cfm. Accessed June 4, 2004. 3. Zemel M. Calcium modulation of hypertension and obesity: Mechanisms and implications. J Am College Nutr. 2001;20(suppl 5):S428-S435. 4. Lytle LA, Seifert S, Greenstein J, McGovern P. How do children’s eating patterns and food choices change over time? Results from a cohort study. Am J Health Promot. 2000;14:222-228.
Possible Benefits of a Calcium-Rich Diet for Girls
W
ith great attention given to the impact of calciumrich diets on weight control, the research by Lappe and colleagues adds timely insight on this topic as it relates to young girls. This 2-year pilot study set out to determine if pubertal girls assigned to a calcium-rich diet would have a significant weight gain above pubertal girls who had a usual calcium intake (1). All of the 59 girls were premenarcheal and in Tanner stage one. They were divided into two groups: a treatment group (girls who were educated to increase consumption of calcium to 1,500 mg/day) and a control group (girls who were asked to maintain their usual intake). The most common foods consumed by the treatment group included milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. The results from the two groups were very similar; however, there was a difference in the nutrient intake between the groups. The treatment group saw an increased intake of vitamins A and D, protein, phosphorus, and magnesium. The control group only saw an increased intake of iron and zinc. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, once kids reach puberty, they need a daily calcium intake of 1,300 mg/day (2). This research provides information that may help teenagers to understand that consuming calcium-rich foods with the recommended intake (around 1,300 mg of calcium) will not cause them to gain weight. It may help to persuade parents to make high-calcium foods available for girls without having to worry about their children gaining weight. Even though most of the calcium-rich foods have a high fat content, there was little difference in the fat intake between the treatment and control groups. The control and treatment group diets had 33% of the total calories from fat. This represents the ability of these young girls to make healthful, lower-fat dairy choices when educated. It is shown in the study that the increased intake of calcium increases the intake of other important nutrients the body needs. For preteens, this is important for normal development of their bodies. Dietetics professionals can immediately use this infor-
This article was written by Evelyn Ford Crayton, EdD, RD, professor, Nutrition and Food Sciences, and assistant director, Family and Community Programs, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2004.06.006
1368
September 2004 Volume 104 Number 9
mation to make decisions about their patients, especially if they are female. One is to recommend that clients follow the Food Guide Pyramid for dairy foods. Another one is to recommend that high intakes of calcium-rich foods are helpful in overall nutrient intake. Females need a regular intake of calcium to promote bone density. They also need the calcium to delay and/or prevent the onset of osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis can become a very debilitating disease that decreases the bone density and causes them to become brittle. Another issue that may be considered based on this research is the theory that a high-calcium diet will aid in weight loss. Zemel reported that increasing dietary calcium accelerates weight and fat loss secondary to caloric restriction and also shifts the distribution of fat loss to a more favorable pattern, with more fat lost from the abdominal region on the high-calcium diet (3). By reaffirming to preteens that milk does not promote weight gain, you will encourage them to drink even more milk and in turn increase their calcium intake and keep them from depending on other drinks, such as sodas. In 2000, a cohort study for the purpose of investigating eating patterns and food choices followed 291 Minnesota children from the third grade to the eighth grade. Their findings showed that milk consumption dropped by about 10 percentage points (from 98.6% to 90.1%), while soft drink consumption increased dramatically from 2.4% to 57.1% between the third and eighth grade (4). All of these factors are to be considered by dietetics professionals in making recommendations for calcium-rich foods in the diet. References 1. Lappe JM, Rafferty KA, Davies KM, Lypaczewski G. Girls on a high-calcium diet gain weight at the same rate as girls on a normal diet: A pilot study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104:1361-1367. 2. American Academy of Pediatrics. Calcium: Getting What You Need. 2002. Available at: http://www. aap.org/healthtopics/nutrition.cfm. Accessed June 4, 2004. 3. Zemel M. Calcium modulation of hypertension and obesity: Mechanisms and implications. J Am College Nutr. 2001;20(suppl 5):S428-S435. 4. Lytle LA, Seifert S, Greenstein J, McGovern P. How do children’s eating patterns and food choices change over time? Results from a cohort study. Am J Health Promot. 2000;14:222-228.