Effect of an intervention with different contributions of calcium on nutritional status in overweight university students

A low intake of calcium has been associated with greater risk of overweight and obesity. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of calcium intake on the nutritional status of overweight female university students. This 8-week intervention included two groups who restricted their calcium intake to <3 portions or 5 portions of dairy products per day (nonfat ultra-high temperature processed milk). Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BF) were measured at baseline and post-intervention. The intervention considered for both groups a 500 kcal/day restriction based on their total energy expenditure. The main result of this study showed that dietary calcium intake increased to 916.4 mg/day in the group consuming 5 portions per day but decreased (-28.9 mg/day) in the group consuming 3 daily portions. Both the 3 and 5 portion intake groups significantly reduced their body weight (-3.6 vs. -3.4 kg), BMI (-1.45 vs. -1.31 kg/m(2)), WC (-4.5 vs. -6.2 cm) and BF (-2.5 vs. -2.7%). These findings suggest that 5 dairy portions per day compared to 3 does not have additional benefits for improved nutritional status.