Have you ever heard that yogurt loses weight? According to a 2017 survey, this food can really help with weight loss, being a good ally for those who want to shed a few extra pounds – but you need to know how to consume it.
This study was carried out by the Center for Morbid Obesity in Norway and took into account 15 other previous studies, which involved 957 people. The result was that yogurt really can be a weight loss aid because of its probiotic content.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are bacteria that have the ability to form colonies in our intestines and provide a number of benefits for the entire body. These microorganisms can be found in certain foods such as yogurt, curds, fermented milk, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut.
Thus, probiotics are bacteria that manage to cross our entire digestive system and reach the intestine alive, being able to survive the acidity of the stomach (which kills most microorganisms).
One of the benefits of probiotics is that, by colonizing the intestinal mucosa, they reduce the space available for the growth of harmful bacteria – it's a real turf war. In this way, the bacteria in yogurt make it difficult for microorganisms to reproduce could cause disease and, on top of that, put on weight.
According to a 2011 survey by the National Institute of Health in Phoenix, USA, “bad” bacteria favor the absorption of calories by the intestinal mucosa. And the result of that, as you can imagine, is a tendency to put on weight.
In this way, yogurt loses weight because it is a source of probiotics, that is, when you consume this food, you are also consuming these “good” bacteria that will limit the growth of microorganisms that favor weight gain.
Other Benefits of Yogurt and Probiotics
In addition to reducing the action of harmful bacteria that make us fat, yogurt and other probiotics offer other health benefits, such as participating in the production of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and prevents bleeding.
In addition, they are also part of the process of synthesis of so-called short-chain fatty acids, which help our body to fight infections, reduce inflammatory processes, and can even protect against some types of cancer.
How to Properly Consume Yogurt and Other Probiotics
One of the most important details when it comes to consuming probiotics is that these good bacteria have a relatively short life span, a maximum of one to two weeks. Therefore, these foods need to be consumed regularly. Otherwise, the harmful microorganisms will reproduce again and gain space in the intestinal mucosa.
In addition, you need to lend a hand to these good bacteria and "feed" them in the right way. This is where prebiotics (that's right, written with an "e") come in, substances from some types of carbohydrates that we ingest.
Prebiotics are primarily fibers capable of passing through the stomach intact, without being digested. Upon reaching the intestine, these fibers serve as food for the probiotic microorganisms, helping them to win the territorial dispute against the bad bacteria.
Some of the top foods rich in prebiotics are chicory root, garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, apples, oats, flaxseeds, and barley.
What Is the Actual Weight Loss Promoted by Consuming Yogurt?
Now that you know the relationship between probiotics and weight loss, let's go back to the study carried out in Norway to understand what the influence of this food is on weight loss.
The research actually found that people who consumed yogurt daily lost more weight compared to those who consumed a placebo (food without probiotics). However, this weight loss was not very significant: on average, participants who consumed true probiotics lost 0.6% of their body weight over the course of 3 to 12 weeks, which means that a 70 kg person would have lost 420 grams.
Therefore, to really see that yogurt is slimming, it is necessary to give preference to natural versions, without added sugar, maintain a balanced diet and associate the practice of physical exercises. Alone, yogurt unfortunately does not work miracles.