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Quick Fit Tip-Yogurt to the Rescue
by Peggy Fisher
What can a yogurt a day do for you?
The better question might be, what can't it do?
Researchers are finding amazing new benefits from this ancient "health" food, that's looking like a better and better way to deliciously and inexpensively improve your health.
Not only can eating eight ounces a day help you lose weight and more importantly dangerous belly fat (perilous for your health, heart and profile), keep your teeth stronger and fight debilitating osteoporosis, but studies show it can help you battle bad breath better than mouth wash.
New Japanese research has found live bacteria in yogurt suppress bad breath. Among volunteers with halitosis, bacteria which cause bad breath dropped more than half in most cases after consuming six ounces of yogurt for six weeks. Yogurt reduces the smell-inducing bacteria which coat the tongue, which why another weapon against bad breath is tongue-cleaning. Lead researcher Kenichi Hojo says scientists are not sure exactly how yogurt works its magic. But he suggests its good bacteria may crowd out odor-causing bacteria or create an unfavorable environment for the bad bacteria.
However it does it, bad-breath sufferers and those who suffer with them don't care; they are just happy and grateful for relief.
How Yogurt Sculpts Curves
Dairy products are one of the first casualties of dieters' battle against the bulge. A new study suggests this strategy could backfire. Low-fat, calcium-rich foods like yogurt may help turn up the body's fat-burning ability.
The study, conducted by Michael Zemel, PhD, professor of nutrition at the University of Tennessee, found dieters who included a light yogurt as part of their plan lost significantly more weight than those who simply reduced calories. The yogurt eaters lost 22 percent more weight, 61 percent more body fat and 81 percent more stomach fat during the 12-week study!
"Not only did yogurt help participants lose more weight," advises Zemel, "they were twice as effective at maintaining lean muscle mass. This is critical when dieting-you want to lose fat, not muscle."
Zemel is at the forefront of research examining the relationship between calcium and weight management. His previous studies found a diet low in calcium stimulates production of fat-producing enzymes and decreases the activity of enzymes that break down fat.
The result: bigger, fatter fat cells.
"The moral of the calcium story is to not dump dairy when you're dieting," warns Zemel. "Not only is it critical to keep your calcium levels high so you won't lose bone density, it will also help you maintain your muscle mass and increase your fat loss.'
Who Benefits the Most?
Women! Zemel reports: "What we found is that women who consumed at least three servings of low-fat dairy foods per day were at the lowest risk of becoming obese. In fact, there was an 80 percent reduction in risk for any given level of calorie intake."
If you cut out dairy foods when you try to lose weight, this sends a signal to your body to conserve calcium, which creates higher levels of the hormone calcitriol. This triggers production of fat cells. When calcitriol levels are boosted, fat cells expand and store themselves in the body. You become fatter. When you eat dairy foods, you get more calcium. This suppresses calcitriol which breaks down more fat. It's better to eat real dairy products than calcium-fortified ones because real foods contain more vitamins and minerals.
What else can yogurt do for you?
It can protect your bones and your brain.
Calcium can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
Vitamin D and calcium may decrease cell overgrowth to protect you from colon cancer.
Yogurt boosts your immune system, helps digestion, and relieves IBS and infections.
A final plus: Several brands of yogurt now offer fiber along with all the other creamy, delicious benefits. When you consider what we used to have to endure to get enough fiber in the olden days when bran reigned supreme, it is a wonderfully freeing new world with 21st century technology making it easier than ever to be fit, healthy and enjoy marvelous treats as well.
Try your supermarket's generic brand (probably Dannon repackaged and sold for less.) Some of these cost-effective yogurts are great finds.
*Peggy Fisher is a syndicated columnist who features safety, fitness and environmental stewardship. She has had work published in newspapers, magazines and websites in over 100 countries. She offers free weekly Seaside Scoop email with Word for the Week and fitness, conservation tips and inspiration from the sea at: writingbyfisher@bellsouth.net.
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