Visceral fat - resulting from a combination of poor dietary, sedentary behaviour and hormonal imbalances - can be incredibly hard to shift.
Fortunately, one food could be instrumental in speeding up weight loss in the abdominal region - and adding it your diet could increase visceral fat reduction by a staggering 81 percent, according to one body of research.
The findings of a study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2005 found that yoghurt could boost weight loss in the body’s midsection by 81 percent.
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For their experiment, researchers compared the effectiveness of yoghurt consumption on weight loss in 34 obese adults placed on a reduced-calorie diet.
The study authors noted: “Bodyweight, body fat, and fat distribution, blood pressure and circulating lipids were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention.
“Fat loss was markedly increased on the yoghurt diet while lean loss was reduced by 31 percent on the yoghurt diet.
“Trunk fat loss was augmented by 81 percent on the yoghurt versus the control diet, and this was reflected in a greater reduction in waist circumference.
“Further, the fraction of fat lost from the trunk was higher on the yoghurt diet versus control.”
The effects were attributed in part to high levels of calcium in yoghurt, which are linked to lower levels of abdominal fat.
By eating low-fat yoghurt before a meal, the calcium content could prevent fat from entering the cells, according to prior research.
What’s more, low-fat Greek yoghurt contains twice as much satiating protein as traditional yoghurt, which prolongs the feeling of fullness after a meal.
Its high-protein profile has been shown to drastically improve metabolism, which enables greater calorie burn throughout the day.
Michael Zemel, professor of nutrition at the University of Tennessee, said in a news release: “Not only did yoghurt help the study participants lose more weight - the average weight loss was 14 pounds - they were about twice as effective at maintaining lean muscle mass.
“This is a critical issue when dieting - if you want to lose fat, muscle. Muscle helps burn calories, but it is often compromised during weight loss.”
