Dairy-Rich Diets Augment Fat Loss on an Energy-Restricted Diet: A Multicenter Trial

A 12-week randomized controlled multi-center clinical trial was conducted in 106 overweight and obese adults. Diets were designed to produce a 2,093 kJ/day energy deficit with either low calcium (LC; similar to 600 mg/day), high calcium (HC; similar to 1,400 mg/day), or high dairy (HD; three dairy servings, diet totaling similar to 1,400 mg/day). Ninety-three subjects completed the trial, and 68 met all a priori weekly compliance criteria. Both HC and HD contained comparable levels of calcium, but HC was only similar to 30% as effective as HD in suppressing 1,25-(OH)(2)D and exerted no significant effects on weight loss or body composition compared to LC. In the group that met compliance criteria, HD resulted in similar to two-fold augmentation of fat loss compared to LC and HC (HD: -4.43 +/- 0.53 kg; LC: -2.69 +/- 0.0.53 kg; HC: -2.23 +/- 0.73kg, p < 0.025); assessment of all completers and an intent-to-treat analysis produced similar trends. HD augmentated central (trunk) fat loss (HD: -2.38 +/- 0.30 kg; HC: -1.42 +/- 0.30 kg; LC: -1.36 +/- 0.42 kg, p < 0.05) and waist circumference (HD: -7.65 +/- 0.75 cm; LC: -4.92 +/- 0.74 cm; LC: -4.95 +/- 1.05 cm, p < 0.025). Similar effects were noted among all subjects completing the study and in an intent-to-treat analysis. These data indicate that dairy-rich diets augment weight loss by targeting the fat compartment during energy restriction.