Scientific News  Health care Other illnesses and advices NEW STUDY FINDS YOGURT MAY HELP BURN BODY FAT. YOGURT EATERS LOST 61% MORE BODY FAT.
NEW STUDY FINDS YOGURT MAY HELP
BURN BODY FAT. YOGURT EATERS LOST 61% MORE BODY FAT.
 While some calorie-conscious people may drop
dairy products when they're dieting, a new study suggests this strategy could
backfire.
Research presented 14.04. at the Experimental
Biology conference reveals that yogurt may help turn up the body's fat-burning
ability – making it easier to lose fat while maintaining lean muscle.
The new study – presented by Michael Zemel,
Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of Tennessee – found that
individuals who included Yoplait Light as part of their weight loss plan lost
significantly more weight compared to others who simply reduced calories. The
yogurt eaters lost 22 percent more weight, 61 percent more body fat and 81
percent more trunkal (stomach) fat during the 12-week study.
Zemel and colleagues at the University of
Tennessee studied the impact of adding yogurt to a reduced-calorie diet on 34
healthy obese adults who were randomly assigned to one of two diet groups. The
Yoplait Light group consumed about 1,100 milligrams of calcium each day, which
included three servings of Yoplait Light yogurt. The other low-calcium control
group consumed only about 500 milligrams of calcium – or the amount that's
typical of the American diet, which is chronically low in calcium.
All subjects received an individualized diet plan
that provided 500 fewer calories than their usual intake. Body weight and blood
pressure were recorded weekly, and total body composition was assessed before
and after the 12-week intervention by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
"Not only did yogurt help the study
participants lose more weight--the average weight loss was 13 pounds--they were
about twice as effective at maintaining lean muscle mass," Zemel said.
"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."
Losing Where it Counts
The participants who included Yoplait Light in
their diets also lost 81 percent more fat in the stomach area, which is the most
dangerous type of fat. "Apple-shaped" obese individuals who carry
extra fat around their middle section are at an increased risk of heart disease,
diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer. The calcium-rich diet helped the
participants lose more than an inch around their waist compared to those on the
low-calcium diet. This represented about a six-fold greater decrease in waist
circumference.
Evidence is Mounting
Zemel has been a pioneer in this emerging area of
research examining the relationship between calcium and weight management. He
was the first to discover that small changes in the calcium levels of fat cells
alter signals within the cell that control the production and breakdown of fat.
Getting enough calcium in your diet seems to trigger the body to burn more fat
and reduces the amount of new fat the body makes.
His previous studies have found that in a
reduced-calorie diet, as calcium intake goes up, weight and body fat go down. A
diet low in calcium appears to stimulate the production of fat-producing enzymes
and decreases the activity of enzymes that break down fat, Zemel said. The
result is bigger, fatter fat cells.
"The moral of the calcium story is to not
dump dairy when you're dieting," Zemel said. "Not only is it critical
to keep your calcium levels high so you won't lose bone density, it will also
help you maintain your muscle mass and increase your fat loss. A diet rich in
lowfat dairy foods, like yogurt, can help make your weight loss efforts easier."
Zemel recommends three servings of dairy foods a
day, particularly fat free and lowfat choices. Yoplait Light is a fat-free
yogurt that is an excellent source of calcium and contains only 100 calories per
6-ounce serving.
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Publishing date: April 22, 2003
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