A study conducted in 2011 at Harvard University stated that among the various healthy foods available, yogurt is the food that has the most positive influence on the diet or weight loss process.
Yogurt is a fermented product of milk by bacteria (generally lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria), wherein these bacteria can act as probiotics for the body. Therefore, yogurt is still contained in a number of good bacteria or probiotics which will provide positive benefits for the body when consumed.

A doctor in New York City who wrote the book “The Microbiome Diet” said that if bacteria that are in our digestive tract are healthy, then we can automatically lose weight. On the other hand, what kind of condition of bacteria in our body depends on what we eat. In other words, if you want to get a healthy bacterial condition in your body, you also have to eat healthy foods, one of which is yogurt.
Benefits of Yogurt for Diet (Weight Loss)
The good bacterial content in yogurt has a very important role for the diet process or a decrease in body weight, here is an explanation of some of the mechanisms:
- The calcium content in yogurt is useful in reducing fat deposits in the abdominal area. Fat cells in the lumbar region produce the hormone cortisol which will command the body to store fat in the abdominal area. When you eat yogurt, the calcium content will send signals to fat cells (in the lumbar region) to pump less calcium, so that the fat to be accumulated in the stomach also becomes less. This will make it easier for you to reduce the amount of fat in the body.
- Some types of digestive bacteria are known to have an effect on inhibiting the absorption of fats derived from the foods we consume, and will be removed from the body through feces. According to research, the types of bacteria in the digestive tract that have a role in inhibiting fat absorption are bacteria that belong to the Lactobacillus family.
- Some studies also state that the role of good bacteria in losing weight is through a mechanism to increase the release of GLP-1 hormone. The GLP-1 hormone in the body functions to reduce our desire to eat (appetite), and improve the process of burning calories and fat in the body.
- Good bacteria also play a role in increasing ANGPTL4 protein content. These proteins in the body play a role in reducing the occurrence of fat storage in the body.
- Lactobacillus gasseri is known as one of the good bacterial strains of the Lactobacillus family that shows a promising effect in losing weight. According to the study conducted, administration of Lactobacillus gasseri can reduce fat deposits in the abdominal area to reach 8.5 percent. Not only that, the BMI, body fat, waist size and hip circumference were also reduced after taking Lactobacillus gasseri supplements for 12 weeks. Other good bacteria from the Lactobacillus family are also known to have a similar effect on reducing fat in the abdominal area, they are Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
Some probiotics or good bacteria are also known to play a role in preventing an increase in body weight when someone consumes foods that are high in calories.
Some of the explanations above show that the good bacteria contained in yogurt have a significant role in reducing body weight. That makes yogurt as one of the foods that is scientifically proven to play a positive role in one’s diet.
Apart from the above, there is one thing to note about probiotics and decreasing body weight. Not all probiotics or good bacteria play a role in reducing body weight, instead there are good bacteria that increase body weight. The bacteria, according to the study conducted, is Lactobacillus acidophilus. Well, if the yogurt you consume actually contains a lot of probiotics of this type, then don’t be surprised if the diet program that is run fails. Unfortunately, this type of good bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus, is a bacterium commonly found in yogurt. So, if you are really concerned in using yogurt for a diet, then the most important thing for you to find out is the content of the types of good bacteria found in a yogurt product. You can ask the manufacturer directly if it’s not on the packaging.
Topics #weight loss