More good news on the benefits of including dairy products in your daily diet.
Calcium from dairy sources, but not supplements, decreased excess levels of fat in the blood after eating, says research from Denmark that is yet another twist to the calcium-dairy weight loss debate.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reports that triacylglycerol levels in the blood (the major fat form in the blood after absortpion) were between 15 and 19 percent lower amongst subjects consuming a dairy source of calcium than subjects receiving calcium carbonate supplements.
“As far as we know, the present study is the first to show that an increased calcium intake from dairy products exerts a lowering effect on postprandial fat absorption,” wrote lead author Janne Kunchel Lorenzen from the University of Copenhagen.
The researchers suggest that the form of the calcium may play an important role in the effects observed, with dairy calcium found mostly in the form of calcium phosphate. Previous studies have suggested that calcium phosphate may bind to bile acids and partially inhibit the formation of micelles that transport the fat from the intestine to the blood stream. The researchers called for further studies to re-examine these conclusions.