If you're trying to lose weight, grab a cup of low-fat yogurt and dig in. Don't just stop with yogurt though. There are many other sources of calcium and calcium rich food to help in your diet regime and aid in proper food nutrition. Studies now support the connection between calcium intake and weight loss.
However, this doesn't mean the calcium intake can come from any source. In fact, a study done by the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School showed a correlation between children who drank milk and weight gain. How can that be when milk is chock full of calcium? The answer is easy. The way your body will respond with a propensity to lose or gain weight depends on what source of calcium you use.
The problem with using only dairy products for your source of calcium is the fact that most dairy products are high in fat, which can counter the effects of increasing your calcium intake.
The key is to increase your intake of low-fat dairy products and to get more calcium through supplements and other food products that contain calcium, such as broccoli. Calcium supplements and fat free, dry milk are excellent sources of calcium, which can improve how the body stores and burns fat. According to several studies conducted by Michael Zemel, PhD and Director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, high calcium diets actually change how fat cells burn fat, making them more receptive to burning instead of storing fat. While low-fat, high calcium diets worked regardless of the source of the calcium (supplements versus dairy products), low-fat diets high in dairy products produced the most impressive results.
When you eat two cups of yogurt a day (even without changing your diet or exercise habits), your body should burn more fat and resist storing fat than it did before you changed your diet. This is especially good news for women and girls who need to ingest enough calcium to prevent against osteoporosis or the weakening of the bones.
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