Is Yogurt a Weight Loss Food?

No doubt – yogurt is a quick and convenient snack that can also double as breakfast when you’re running behind in the morning. If you’re on the fence as to whether to add yogurt to your diet, here’s a reason to give it a try. Trying to lose or control your weight? More than one study shows yogurt may help with weight loss.

Yogurt and Weight Loss: What Research Shows

A 2011 study involving 120,000 healthy men and women looked at what foods were most strongly linked with age-related weight gain. Researchers followed the participants for 20 years, carefully documenting the types of foods each participant ate. In this study, the food that topped the list of foods that protect against weight gain was yogurt. Other foods that were protective included whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

A 2005 study also points out the benefits of yogurt for weight loss. This study showed obese adults that ate three servings of low-fat yogurt a day in combination with a reduced-calorie diet lost 61% more body fat compared to those who simply ate a low-calorie diet. The yogurt-eating group also lost more tummy fat and less lean body mass. More body fat, less lean muscle mass, sounds like a winning combination, doesn’t it?

 How Yogurt Helps with Weight Loss

Yogurt has a number of benefits that make it an ideal weight loss food. A cup of regular yogurt has between 9 and 13 grams of protein, while Greek yogurt can have up to 20 grams of protein per 8-ounce serving. Protein is a key nutrient for appetite control and for the preservation of lean body mass. Who couldn’t use a little appetite control? Research shows diets higher in protein are helpful for weight loss.

Yogurt is a good source of bone-preserving calcium as well. Research suggests calcium helps with weight loss and may actually boost thermogenesis, the rate at which your body burns fat. Plus, some studies show people who get more calcium in their diet are less likely to gain belly fat.

Protein and calcium are just two of the benefits of eating yogurt. If you choose yogurt with active cultures, you get the benefits of gut-friendly probiotics that also play a role in immune health. The “good” bacteria in yogurt may also partially explain the weight loss benefits of yogurt. Research shows obese people have a different population of gut bacteria than those who are lean. Plus, when people lose weight, the composition of their gut bacteria changes along with their weight.

In one study, women who took a probiotic supplement containing bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus lost more weight than those who took a placebo. Having healthy gut bacteria may keep inflammation in check too. Inflammation has been linked with metabolic problems like insulin resistance and type 2-diabetes. In mice, there’s some evidence that gut bacteria play a role in regulating fat storage too. The role of probiotics in regulating body weight is an active research area that, hopefully, will produce more information about which bacteria are most beneficial. Until then, enjoy a variety of probiotic bacteria by eating yogurt and a variety of fermented foods.

Choosing a Healthy Yogurt

Not all yogurt is created equal. Some commercial yogurts contain more added sugar than a candy bar. In fact, some of the flavored varieties have almost 30 grams of sugar in an 8-ounce cup. That’s 7.5 teaspoons! Avoid non-fat and low-fat varieties. They usually contain lots of added sugar. Stick with plain yogurt whenever possible. You can always sweeten it at home with fruit and a natural sweetener like Stevia.

What about Greek yogurt? Greek yogurt has grown in popularity over the last few years. It does have some advantages over regular yogurt. For one, Greek yogurt has almost double the protein of regular yogurt. It’s also lower in carbohydrates. The drawback is it only has about one-third of the calcium. Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, making it a good substitute in recipes that require sour cream or mayo.

What about Frozen Yogurt?

Frozen yogurt isn’t a good substitute for regular or Greek yogurt. It usually contains less protein and more sugar – not a good combination. The low temperature at which frozen yogurt is kept can also destroy some of the probiotic bacteria. All in all, you may not get the same health benefits from frozen yogurt as you do from Greek or regular yogurt. Watch those toppings too! A number of yogurt shops sell frozen yogurt with your choice of toppings, most of which are pretty high in sugar.

The Bottom Line?

Yogurt can be a beneficial part of a weight loss diet, thanks to the protein, calcium, and probiotics it contains. Look for yogurt that contains as little added sugar as possible. Enjoy the added benefits the calcium in yogurt offers for bone health. Enjoy it in smoothies, use it to make “creamy” soups, in baked goods, to make salad dressing and as a substitute for mayonnaise. Skip the frozen yogurt and make your own yogurt popsicles at home using regular or Greek yogurt and a popsicle mold. Yogurt is a truly versatile food.

 

References:

N Engl J Med 2011; 364:2392-2404June 23, 2011DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1014296

WebMD. “Yogurt May Help Burn Fat, Promote Weight Loss”

Am J Clin Nutr May 2008 vol. 87 no. 5 1558S-1561S.

WebMD. “Calcium: Drink Yourself Skinny”

WebMD. “Eat Yogurt, Lose Belly Fat”

Benef Microbes. 2014 Mar;5(1):19-28. doi: 10.3920/BM2012.0069.

Science Daily. “Certain probiotics could help women lose weight, study finds”

Diabetes Care October 2010 vol. 33 no. 10 2277-2284.

 

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