# Calcium intake and weight loss ... is there a link?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calcium-intake-and-weight-loss-is-there-a-link/166255>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 3, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calcium-intake-and-weight-loss-is-there-a-link/166255 "2003-04-03T17:49:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calcium-intake-and-weight-loss-is-there-a-link/166255/1 "2003-04-03T17:49:10Z")

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I could have sworn I read something (in a reputable paper) in the last 6 months about the effect of calcium intake on wight loss–namely, that a high calcium intake leads to greater weight loss. Does anyone remember anything about this? You can imagine what miserable quack hits I turned up googling “calcium weight loss”, and the various news archives (Google, Yahoo, Excite) have nothing that I could see.

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calcium-intake-and-weight-loss-is-there-a-link/166255/2 "2003-04-03T18:25:33Z")

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IIRC, calcium aids in the production of calcitase, a hormone that helps burn fat. It’s also good for a lot of other things, which you can read about [here](http://www.supplementwatch.com/supatoz/supplement.asp?supplementId=64).

Remember that your body needs calcium and magnesium in the proper ratio (3:2, I believe, but don’t hold me to that).

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**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calcium-intake-and-weight-loss-is-there-a-link/166255/3 "2003-04-03T19:07:19Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \*  
> **IIRC, calcium aids in the production of calcitase, a hormone that helps burn fat. It’s also good for a lot of other things, which you can read about [here](http://www.supplementwatch.com/supatoz/supplement.asp?supplementId=64).**

Informative site. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![nuthinboutnuthin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/96bed5/32.png) [@nuthinboutnuthin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nuthinboutnuthin)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calcium-intake-and-weight-loss-is-there-a-link/166255/4 "2003-04-03T19:17:37Z")

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I read that aritcle in Readers Digest several months ago.

I must say I tend to agree with it… although it had never occurred to me before…  
Milk and water is pretty much ALL I drink ( minus the occasional lovely Margarita) and I’ve weighed the same since I was sixteen… 5’2" 110 lbs…  
The rest of my family never drink milk and are on the LARGER side…  
One older male friend of mine also only drinks milk and is also slender. Everyone else I know has a weight problem and they never drink milk… Who knows???

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calcium-intake-and-weight-loss-is-there-a-link/166255/5 "2003-04-03T19:49:47Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by nuthinboutnuthin \*  
> \*\*I read that aritcle in Readers Digest several months ago. \*\*

Shazam! Thanks for the reference. I was able to find a link (to someone who’s reprinted it on an anti-PETA web site…):

http://vicious\_kitten.tripod.com/anti-peta/thin.html