Eating Yogurt May Help You Have A Smaller Waist

People who eat more yogurt are also likely to have smaller waists and lower body weight, according to a recent study.

An international team of researchers found that those who ate more yogurt had healthier body composition.

"Studies that look specifically at weight loss are very limited," said coauthor Irene Lenoir-Wijnkoop of Utrecht University in The Netherlands, via Reuters Health. "Scientifically speaking, based on this it cannot be concluded that yogurt causes weight loss, even if the tendency in this analysis is promising."

During the study, the researchers examined 22 studies that looked at the intake of yogurt and its effects on those who ate it. From this specific group of studies, 13 studies specifically observed individuals during a certain period--matching their consumption of yogurt and revealing healthier body composition among those who consumed yogurt.

It's no surprise that yogurt is healthy as this food contains several micronutrients that may contribute to weight loss, including calcium.

"However, to maximize the likelihood of detecting a causal effect, it would be critical to have an adequate number of participants, a follow up over a sufficiently long timespan (ideally 12 months) and a proper design to address effects of yogurt alone," Dr. Nita Forouhi of the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine in the U.K., via Reuters Health, who was not involved in the study.

As for now, it's uncertain whether lower body weight seen in individuals from yogurt is due to the composition of the food itself or what individuals who eat yogurt might be replacing this food with, researchers say.

The study is published in the International Journal of Obesity.

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