In this systematic review, all epidemiological studies found an association between yogurt consumption and lower body mass index, lower body weight/weight gain, smaller waist circumference and lower body fat. The authors suggest an important role for yogurt in weight management, but cannot determine a cause-effect relationship.
Relevance to weight-related outcomes
As yogurt is commonly recognized as a ‘health food’, this comprehensive systematic review examined the effect of yogurt consumption on weight-related outcomes in healthy adults. As part of a wider scoping review on yogurt research, more than 13.000 scientific papers were investigated. After a relevance assessment to weight-related outcomes, 22 publications were selected for further analysis.
Less weight gain over time
All cohort and cross-sectional studies found a beneficial association between yogurt and improved body weight/composition indicators: a lower body mass index, lower body weight/weight gain, smaller waist circumference and lower body fat. The randomized control trials (RCTs) suggest weight reduction, but are limited in design to determine a cause-effect relationship.
The benefits of yogurt in the management of weight gain and obesity is modest, but can positively impact global public health over time, as yogurt is a nutrient-dense food and can easily be added to the daily diet. Well-designed and large sized RCTs can help to understand better the possible mechanisms.
