The acute effects of calcium supplementation on appetite and satiety in overweight women

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, research has suggested that calcium (Ca) consumption could play an important role in the maintenance of body weight [1]. It has been suggested that appetite and food intake may be affected by Ca intake in the diet [1; 2]; however the mechanism is unclear. Methods: Ten overweight /obese females (18-45 y, 25-37 kg/m2) participated in this study. Subjects consumed either 500 mg Ca (Calcium- Sandoz® Syrup) or placebo (PL) mixed into orange juice. Subjects recorded appetite ratings using visual analogue scales (VAS) every 30 min for 3 hours. Postprandial plasma glucose, insulin and GLP-1 concentrations were also measured. Energy intakes from an ad libitum lunch and over 24 hours were assessed. Results: The Ca significantly reduce hunger and prospective food consumption (p=0.07) and (p=0.012) respectively. In addition, the Ca significantly reduced energy intake at the ad libitum lunch compared with PL (1006 (SEM 43.80) kcal versus 1122 (SEM 66.98) kcal, respectively, (p=0.017). Ca enrichment had no significant effect on plasma glucose levels; whilst the postprandial insulin responses were significantly higher (p=0.007). There were significantly lower GLP-1 levels with Ca (p<0.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that calcium supplement may play an important role in reducing food intake in overweight/obese womens. Further investigation in other groups would be required.