Losing Weight with Yogurt

We are aware of the fact that plain yogurt when taken without sugar or any other addictives is extremely beneficial for our health. Plain yogurt is a great source of calcium. A number of surveys have revealed that yogurt can also help people looking to lose body weight or individuals who want to maintain their body weight.

Go to the dairy department of the supermarket, and check the labels on the low-fat yogurts. Make sure it contains the words: "Active Yogurt Cultures." This is the important single ingredient that kills bacteria that causes infections and protects against contracting cancer. The fewer artificial additives yogurt contains the healthier it is to eat, and it is the healthiest to consume especially when trying to lose weight.

Researchers found that obese adults who ate three servings of fat-free yogurt a day as part of a reduced-calorie diet lost 22% more weight and 61% more body fat than those who simply cut calories and didn't bone up on calcium. Yogurt eaters also lost 81% more fat in the stomach area than non-yogurt eaters.

"Not only did yogurt help the study participants lose more weight -- the average weight loss was 14 pounds -- they were about twice as effective at maintaining lean muscle mass," says researcher Michael Zemel, PhD, professor of nutrition at the University of Tennessee, in a news release. "This is a critical issue when dieting -- you want to lose fat, not muscle. Muscle helps burn calories, but it is often compromised during weight loss."