Can Cutting down on Dairy Help You Lose Weight?

Losing weight is a big concern for many of us and we don’t step back to see what works and what not until we have a very strong influence behind those fad diets. Celebrities like Beyonce, Megan Fox, Victoria Beckham, Khloe Kardashian have cut down dairy product from their diet and the results have been mind-blowing! Well, now the question comes, is dairy actually bad for health or is it a myth! While one school of thought believes that including daily product in your diet can help you reap some incredible benefits among which losing weight is one, and on the other side, the other school of thought believes that removing diary from diet can help losing weight. It becomes a tad too difficult for a commoner to take decision based on the wide spectrum of views and discussions.

Moreover, it is also important to mention that if dairy products contain a significant portion of your daily diet, it may connote that you might be consuming more fat along with the protein and other goodness of dairy. On the other hand, if you are lactose intolerant, giving up dairy products might help you shed some kilos. Let’s dig a little deeper and find out what’s the scene beyond this hullaballoo!

The reality Behind Dairy Products

Human body can digest dairy so that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream, unless our body doesn’t have sufficient amount of lactase enzyme or we are lactose intolerant; and this is when the body takes longer time to break into absorbable sugars like galactose and glucose.

Of course, some of the dairy products like butter, cheese etc. are high in fat and consuming them profusely can cause weight gain. On the other hand, they also are good sources of protein, casein, and calcium.  Daily products contain good and bad fat and if your diet contain more of dietary fats you are prone to gain weight. But that is the case with any food group. If you are consuming foods of a particular food group in larger portion, you are gaining more calories and if you are not maintaining a regular fitness regime, the calories are going to get stored in your system as fat.

Moreover, for a normal human being, including diary product can help lose more weight and build more lean muscle. The reason being, dairy products are rich sources of protein and casein that support lean muscle and promotes weight loss.

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If you are Lactose intolerant

Foods cannot be good or bad, it’s the behaviour of your body that changes if you consume certain types of foods. People who are lactose intolerant may have difficulty in digesting dairy products and often experience bloating, acidity, gas and several Gastrointestinal problems and hence, the system falls off the track; so, does your diet. Moreover, some of the dairy products are high in fat and consuming them in bigger portion might widen your waistline. Rather cutting down on those might help you lose weight. Dairy is also inflammatory which can cause weight gain and chronic disease. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found, “Dairy product consumption does not exert adverse effects on biomarkers of inflammation in overweight or obese adults.”

Casein may be the culprit

Casein might cause digestive issues for some. Casein is the is the high-quality protein that is found in many dairy products. It is slow digesting protein and anti-catabolic in nature. Sometimes, this acts as a hindrance in keeping the gut healthy. A sound digestion system is crucial to accelerate weight loss. Hence, people who are sensitive to high protein experience bloating and stomach issues. It can also disturb the balance between alkaline and acid in the body resulting in poor digestion and inflammation in the body.

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Celebrities like Megan Fox, Khloe Kardashian, Victoria Beckham have given up dairy from their diet and have experienced some amazing changes in their bodies; and this is because they were lactose intolerant. Hyping that cutting down dairy products from the diet to weight can stand true to some, but the fact is, people who are not lactose intolerant, dairy products can be a source of rich nutrients. Gympik’s Dietitian and Nutrition Expert, Sujetha Shetty says, “Dairy Is a great source of protein, calcium, Vitamin-B12, intake of dairy is known to improve metabolism, bone health, boosts immune system function and improves skin health. It has a combination of both whey and casein protein which is a slow digesting protein and takes longer time to digest than carbs. For example, when you have a glass of milk, it makes you feel full, staying fuller for longer might mean you can skip binging on snacks and intake of extra calories.” Let us know your thoughts too in the comments section below. See you soon, till then- stay fit, stay happy!