Switch to High-Fat Yogurt For a Leaner Body: Study

Eating high-fat yogurt helps you slim down faster, according to a study.

Many people switch to low fat dairy products like flavored yogurts to satisfy their craving for desserts and sweet treats. Yogurts containing less fat have high amount of added sugar that is not good for people who are already obese and overweight   Recently, Spanish experts from the University of Navarra found the intake of high-fat yogurt is better than its low-fat version and aids weight loss. Their study involved nearly 8,500 people who had normal body weight in the beginning and were followed for six years until they became obese or gained too much weight. The researchers also recorded the frequency and the type of yogurt (high-fat or low-fat) consumed by the participants to note its effects on weight reduction.

It was observed that individuals who ate daily 125 grams of high-fat yogurt had 19 percent reduced risk of obesity than those who ate less than two cups in a week. The study revealed varied impacts of consuming high-fat yogurt in people following a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits vegetables, nuts and healthy fish. Participants eating fatty yogurt along with Mediterranean cuisine were 36 percent less likely to become obese than those who never ate yogurt or followed a different diet regime. In addition, it was noticed eating yogurt and fruits can cut obesity risk by 21 percent.

"Yogurt it just one food and cannot counterbalance an overall unhealthy diet. But for people with good adherence to a Mediterranean diet then yogurt provided an additional benefit," said Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez, study author and researcher from the University of Navarra, Spain, reports the Telegraph.

Pro-biotic bacteria in yogurt improve digestion and overall health. The authors believe yogurt and fruits are healthier options for dessert than ice creams and high-caloric sweets that add up extra pounds. They advise against choosing yogurts that are commercially sold as low-fat dairy products and follow a balanced diet low in sugar, salt and fat content.

"You need to be careful with the type of yogurt you choose as some low fat yogurts contain 14g or 15g of sugar per 100g. If you stick to natural unsweetened yogurt you are getting half the sugar. If people are eating healthily overall in a moderate portion size it is not going to matter if they choose whole milk yogurt," said Jennifer Low, spokesman for The British Dietetic Association, reports the Telegraph.

The research was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria.