Calcium plus vitamin D may help trim fat

Corporate sponsored medicine

According to a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) sponsored by Coca-Cola, daily supplements of calcium plus vitamin D may help trim fat around the waist.

There are so many things wrong with this study I don’t know where to begin.

MGH is supposed to be the premier teaching hospital in the United States, if not the world. It is the main teaching hospital associated with Harvard University. How could they have stooped so low as to take money from Coca-Cola–a company that has probably caused more cases of obesity and diabetes than any other? This goes to show how pathetic the state of research is in this country.

But wait, the story gets better (or worse, depending on how you look at it)…

It appears that this study was done using orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

Now, wait a minute–there are countless studies telling us that the consumption of fruit juice leads to an increased risk of obesity and diabetes. And yet MGH, the paragon of American medicine, is telling us that fruit juice may just be the answer to your weight loss prayers?

If this isn’t one of the biggest examples of corporate America influencing and buying off the health care system, I don’t know what is. What next for MGH–teaming up with Little Debbie?

The test subjects were fed three 250CC bottles of orange juice per day. That’s about 24 ounces. And while the results showed that the fat around the middle decreased (in a non-statistically significant way, I might add), there was no overall weight loss in any of the subjects.

Of course there wasn’t! Do you know how much sugar is in that much fruit juice? I hope they tested the subjects’ blood sugar levels, because it won’t be long before diabetes will set in. And it won’t be long before they DO start gaining weight.

Unfortunately, I am afraid to say that it also won’t be long before you start seeing television commercials touting the benefits of fortified orange juice in helping you lose weight.

Don’t buy the hype–or the juice!

You’re much better off getting all the slimming benefits of calcium and vitamin D from supplements. I recommend 500 mg of calcium per day, and at least 1,000-5,000 IU per day of vitamin D3 (the active form of the nutrient).

And speaking of vitamin D….