Fat-fighting trio

If you're apple-shaped, you might want to eat more oranges and drink more milk. It turns out that an increased intake of vitamin C and dairy (and the calcium found in it) could reduce the accumulation of weight around the abdomen.

More than 900 Iranian women ages 40-60 were found to have more central fat accumulation if their intakes of vitamin C, calcium and dairy were low, according to a study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. More specifically, low vitamin C intake (less than 56 mg) was associated with a 131% increase in probability of central fat accumulation, while low calcium intake (less than 398 mg) increased it by 30%. In addition, the possibility of being centrally obese increased in women with low dairy consumption.

So how do vitamin C, calcium and dairy fight fat? Researchers believe that both the vitamin and calcium reduce fat absorption and may reduce fat storage.