Vitamin D - Gives Strong Bones, Weight Loss, Too?

If you want strong bones, then you have to get your Vitamin D. Vitamin D is found in certain foods as well as produced by your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Calcium is what keeps your bones healthy, and calcium can only be absorbed by the body when you have enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D and calcium also work as a team to keep your immune and nervous systems in tip-top shape. Several serious health conditions can result from a Vitamin D deficiency:

• Osteoporosis
• Rickets
• Osteomalacia
• High blood pressure
• Osteoarthritis
• Cancer
• Diabetes...read more here
• Tuberculosis

As you can see, this is a long list-and it's not even a complete one. A lack of this important vitamin prevents calcium from doing its job. If you're body isn't getting the calcium it needs, the consequences can be severe.

But Will I Lose Weight by Drinking Milk?

You may be wondering if taking D-fortified vitamins, and the resulting proper calcium absorption, can help you lose weight. If you're confused, you're not alone. The American Dairy Council says yes, while animal rights groups (including the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) say no. As with so many other claims, there are studies that both support and refute the claim that an increased calcium intake will help you lose weight.

The studies primarily relied upon to support the dairy industry ads are those conducted by Michael B. Zemel, MD, director of the University of Tennessee's Nutrition Institute. The fact that the studies were paid for by the American Dairy Council and General Mills (maker of Yoplait yoghurts) doesn't make them valueless, but perhaps casts a shadow of suspicion and/or doubt. Zemel's studies indicated weight loss associated with an increase in calcium consumption and an overall lower caloric intake. To date, there hasn't been conclusive proof that dairy alone will help you lose weight.

Wise Ways to Get the Scale to Mooooove

One thing you can be sure of is that a balanced diet is important for any weight loss program. As long as dairy products have a place in the food pyramid, they should have a place in your diet-two to three servings to be exact. And if the calcium found in dairy products is going to do its job, then you need the proper amount of D-Vitamins. If you're trying to lose weight, stick to the skim and fat-free versions. Two to three servings of whole milk will add 200 calories to your daily intake, which could translate into putting on an extra 20 pounds over the course of a year!

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