When trying to lose weight one of the first things people often stop eating is dairy. Historically this is because dairy contained high levels of fat. However with so many lower fat options, and thanks to recent research, dairy is now back on the diet agenda.

In fact a study by Michael Zemel, PhD, professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville which was published in the April 2004 issue of Obesity Research showed that obese adults who ate a high-dairy diet lost up to double the weight and fat than those who ate a low-dairy diet containing the same number of calories.

Why Dairy?

It’s the unique combination of protein plus calcium in dairy that combine to make it a great weight loss food. Let’s explore why.

Protein

Dairy products all contain a high level of protein, a filling nutrient which slows digestion, so you tend to feel less hungry for the next meal. The best dairy sources for protein are low fat cottage cheese yoghurt.

Calcium

Those eating a higher calcium diet tend to be more successful at losing weight. Four servings of dairy a day should get you to between 1,200 to 1,400 mg per day of calcium, the optimal level. But you can’t get the same effect from a calcium supplement. Zemel says the study also showed that eating three to four servings of dairy products a day is more effective at enhancing weight loss efforts than calcium supplementation alone with pills or calcium-fortified foods.

Go Natural Over Supplements

Interestingly the study also showed that eating three to four servings of dairy products a day is more effective at enhancing weight loss efforts than calcium supplementation alone with pills or calcium-fortified foods.

It is thought that the minerals in dairy products, particularly phosphorous and magnesium, enhance calcium’s beneficial effects on fat breakdown within cells. And at the same time the protein in dairy products helps preserve muscle and increase metabolism.

Calorie Deficits with Dairy

Further, with a diet high in dairy it’s also thought that we can induce the effects of a large calorie deficit on the body with only a small calorie reduction. “Calcium is a critical factor in controlling what your body does with calories, and dairy is an even more critical factor,” says Zemel. “Without changing how many calories we take away, we can alter how much weight and fat you lose.”

And this is one of the most exciting weight loss breakthroughs you can harness for yourself.

A Word of Warning

Calories still count, and eating too much protein can still contribute to other health issues. Check the daily target protein amount you should be eating per day for your body size (it’s listed in my book) and make sure the amount of dairy and other proteins combined don’t exceed this amount.

When selecting dairy products for your healthy eating plan make sure you choose lower fat products. Aim for 2% or less for cottage cheese, yoghurt and ricotta, and 10% or less for cheese. Milk is not as effective as other dairy products because for its calories it provides less protein and doesn’t ‘fill you up’ as much nutritionally. And where possible go for no added sugar and pot set ‘natural’ yoghurts over artificially flavoured or sweetened ones.

So enjoy your dairy and your weight loss!