Originally published on Monday, December 12th, 2011
Weight Loss by Jeff Jurmain for The Doctors Health Press

Here is one of the health tips you should keep in mind when fighting the battle of the bulge: don’t forget your bones. New research shows that if you are restricting calories, boosting your protein and diary intake, and exercising each day, it has a major positive impact on bone health.

(Plus, if you missed it, read the article Keep Your Bones Strong with This Activity.)

The study found that bone health improvements were in large part due to the high density of bone-supporting nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and dairy-based protein. It lasted four months, with three groups of overweight and obese, but otherwise healthy, premenopausal women.

They consumed either low, medium or high amounts of dairy coupled with higher or lower amounts of protein and carbohydrates. The women exercised every day, a routine that included aerobic exercise every day and two additional workouts of circuit weightlifting per week.

The study shows that dairy-source protein is important in trying to prevent accelerated bone loss when dieting. Women, in particular, who are attempting to shed pounds need to keep a diet higher in dairy-source protein, according to the researchers.

A previous study showed that there were identical weight drops across the groups, but very different results for body compositions. The higher-protein, high-dairy group experienced greater whole-body fat and abdomen fat losses and greater lean mass gains.

The same subjects consuming higher-protein and high-dairy diets for this study also showed the greatest improvements in markers of bone formation, no change in bone loss, an increase in circulating vitamin-D levels, and a drop in parathyroid hormone levels (which, when high, are associated with bone loss).

As if it needs to be said, bone health is important and, as we grow older, keeping strong bones will offset the risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures. It is always a great idea to try to battle obesity and excess stomach fat, to get trimmer, but this study helps remind us about the importance of skeleton that holds the body together.

Cut calories, sure, but don’t cut the nutrients and protein you need to stay strong.

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Tags: carbohydrates, health tips, high protein diet, vitamin D