Benefits Of Yogurt For Weight Loss

Yogurt for weight loss

Yogurt can be beneficial for our health, especially for the metabolism, to build muscles, and lose weight. If you are starting a diet, then yogurt is one of those food elements that should stick in your fridge.

Health nutrients we can get from yogurt

Yogurt is considered to be one of the most healthy foods because it is a source of:¹

• Protein: it is a very important macronutrient that builds up in the hair, muscles, bones, and skin. Its function can vary by the place it is stored: for example, in the blood this can help carry hemoglobin; for the hormones, it is essential to produce insulin
• Calcium: it is an important mineral that helps to keep our bones strong; prevents clots in the blood, and builds healthy and strong teeth²
• B vitamins: it has many benefits such as improving memory, boosting of energy, glowing skin and hair, mood enhancer, and immune system stimulator. 
• Phosphorus: it is another essential mineral for the health of our bones

A healthy diet should be established with these kinds of nutrients in order for the body to function at 100% of its potential. 

Benefits of yogurt for weight loss 

Because of these nutrients that yogurt contains, the feeling of satiating is more likely to help to eat less. Proteins, for instance, let us feel full by digesting and burning calories more easily than by eating carbs.³ Usually, yogurt holds at least 9 grams of proteins, which are essential every day to maintain muscles and burn energy on these rather than on fat. Yogurt can be more effective during breakfast as it may stimulate the metabolism right away, boosting energy and helping to build muscles when just awake. As such, yogurt should be considered a superfood as it helps to feel satiated and it gives just the right nutrients to kick in the day, maintaining a healthy routine. Some other benefits of yogurt could be:

• It helps to sleep better
• It helps to prevent weight gain
• it helps to stabilize the appetite
• It helps to boosts energy 
• It helps to build muscles and lose belly fat.⁴

Best yogurt for weight loss

There can be many mistakes when it comes to yogurt. Food stores and markets sell a variety of yogurt, from fat-free to high in sugar and causing cholesterol. But not all yogurts can be beneficial for your health, especially if the aim is to lose weight. As a matter of fact, in order for the body to keep a healthy routine and to activate the metabolism, it is preferable to eat greek yogurt and low-fat ones. Greek yogurt has a dense composition due to having strained out the whey and the sugars, leaving in the essential proteins that the body needs.⁵ Greek yogurt is considered to be the best yogurt for weight loss because:

• It can activate digestive health
• It improves bone health
• As it helps to lose weight it can be beneficial also for the heart
• It can help fight diabetes.⁶

In order for the yogurt to be effective, it should also be remembered to establish an exercise routine alongside a healthy diet. 

How much yogurt is enough

As with every food, eating too much of something could result in negative side effects. Yogurt is no exception to this rule. It is still safe and healthy to eat two or three cups of yogurt per day, although it should be low-fat and unsweetened.⁷ As a matter of fact, it is all about the choice of yogurt. If you choose to eat a high sugar, saturated fat type of yogurt there can be negative side effects like:

• Higher level of cholesterol
• Increased chances of stroke
• Increased chances of type 2 diabetes
• Weight gain
• Diarrhea 
• Stomach cramps

This does not mean that you are free to eat greek style yogurt on every occasion. Even if this is the healthier choice, a well-balanced diet requires that you mix a bit of every food, using low-fat or fat-free yogurt as a boost of help to enhance weight loss and to keep an adjusted routine.  

Best time to eat yogurt for weight loss

Starting your day with a bowl of yogurt can be the best way to wake up the metabolism. Yogurt contains live bacteria called “lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus” that transform pasteurized milk into yogurt.⁸ These bacteria on an empty stomach could help with digestion by reaching the intestines and maintaining the right amount of bacteria in the gut.⁹ Consequently, better digestion is beneficial in order not to feel bloated, to break food into nutrients which will be used for energy during the day. Moreover, having yogurt in the morning can help you to feel satiated longer, and when it comes to the remaining meals of the day, it could help to balance the appetite. 

Things to remember

Yogurt can be very beneficial if established in a well-balanced diet. Especially if the aim is to lose weight, a bowl of yogurt mixed with fruits, nuts, or granola can:

• Help digestion 
• Help you feel satiated for longer 
• It gives you the right quantity of nutrients in order for the body to run on energy
• It promotes bone health
• Help to build muscles
• Help to keep a healthy gut and routine

It is important to remember that not all yogurts have the same benefits. For instance, the high-fat, high in sugar ones can also have negative side effects causing an increase in cholesterol and the chances to develop type 2 diabetes. The choice of yogurt is a determinant if the aim is to lose weight. 

Summary

This article has explored the main benefits of yogurt to promote weight loss. Many people can be confused about whether yogurt can be effective, and this article could help to address the concerns about it. The main conclusion is that yogurt can be beneficial for our health, if the choice is on greek style yogurt, fat-free or low-fat ones. These types of yogurt contain bacteria that can be helpful for digestion; the necessary nutrients to burn energy; the right vitamins and minerals for the body to keep healthy and build muscles. It should be essential to remember that while yogurt can be helpful to lose weight, this should not be eaten on every occasion: the body needs other types of food, nutrients, vitamins, fiber, and fatty carbs in order for it to be healthy and balanced. The main ideas within this article were: the nutrients found in the yogurt; the benefits of yogurt on weight loss; how much yogurt  it is suggested to eat; and the best time of the day in which yogurt should be eaten.