Ask the nutritionist

Q I've seen ad campaigns saying that if you drink 24 ounces of milk every 24 hours, it will help you lose weight. Is this true?

A Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., author of Diet Simple (Lifeline Press, 2004) and an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman, addresses this weight-loss claim.

It's true for some people. Since 2000, published studies of men, women and children have consistently found that people who meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for calcium (1,000 milligrams daily for women) have lower body weights and lower body fat.

Additional studies are needed to verify the calcium-weight loss connection. But we do know that not getting enough calcium can make it easier for you to gain weight. Here's why: The body responds to a calcium deficiency by releasing hormones such as calcitriol to help absorb more of this mineral. "Calcitriol sends the fat cells a message to start making more fat and sends another message to slow down the process of fat breakdown and oxidation," explains Michael Zemel, Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and author of The Calcium Key (Wiley, 2004). "A higher calcium diet helps you burn more fat for a smaller, leaner fat cell."

To meet your RDA for calcium and lose or maintain weight, reach for three servings a day of lowfat or fat-free dairy foods. A serving equals 1 cup of skim fat milk, 1 cup of nonfat yogurt or 1.5 ounces of a lowfat hard cheese.

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