5.6.2008 9:41 AM

Dairy Products May Not Help Weight Loss

Adding More Milk, Yogurt and Cheese to Your Diet Could Actually Have the Opposite Effect

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Dairy products help you lose weight are misleading.

Photo: George Doyle/ Getty Images

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta

The dairy industry has pushed claims in recent years that consuming more of its products can help you lose weight. The claims were based on research that suggested people who consume 3 daily servings of milk, cheese or yogurt as part of a weight-loss plan burn more fat.

While dairy products are healthful in other ways such as providing calcium, a new review of the evidence shows that dairy products do not promote weight loss, according to Blackwell Publishing. The study will be published in the May 2008 edition of Nutrition Reviews.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina examined evidence from clinical trials from 1966 to 2007 that looked at the effects of consuming dairy products without the use of dieting. Of the 49 clinical trials, 41 showed no effect, two demonstrated weight gain, one showed a lower rate of weight gain, and only five showed weight loss.

The researchers observed that the weight loss may have been due to other factors such as exercise, decreased soda intake, lifestyle habits or increased fiber, fruit and vegetable intake.

Worse, the researchers concluded that increasing dairy product intake could actually result in weight gain.

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