Postmenopausal women are urged to increase dietary calcium to prevent bone loss and Vitamin D has been shown to be protective against some cancers. But together they may have one additional health benefit. New research has shown that taking calcium in conjunction with Vitamin D supplements may slow or prevent weight gain in postmenopausal women.

During and after menopause, women face a number of new health concerns, not the least of which is bone loss. But the tendency towards weight gain is equally distressing.

The greatest benefit was to women whose calcium was low initially. By increasing their calcium and Vitamin D intakes, they were 11 percent less likely to gain weight than their counterparts who did not consume the recommended amounts of calcium.

More information on the study can be found at Medical News Today.