Research

Hormonal

Consuming three daily servings of dairy products during energy restriction significantly augments fat loss and trunk fat loss compared to low-calcium or high-calcium (supplement) diets, while preserving lean mass.

To maximize fat loss while dieting, include three servings of dairy (milk, cheese, or yogurt) daily. This approach, combined with a moderate calorie deficit, has been shown to double fat loss compared to low-calcium diets and is superior to taking calcium supplements alone. Ensure you are consuming enough protein and maintaining your usual activity level.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In the group that met compliance criteria, HD resulted in ~two-fold augmentation of fat loss compared to LC and HC (HD: -4.43 ± 0.53 kg; LC: -2.69 ± 0.0.53 kg; HC: -2.23 ± 0.73kg, p < 0.025)... HD augmentated central (trunk) fat loss... and waist circumference... These data indicate that dairy-rich diets augment weight loss by targeting the fat compartment during energy restriction.
Michael B. Zemel et al. · Nutrients · 2009

Why this rating

Multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial with a relatively large sample size (n=106) and strict compliance criteria, though one site showed no effect.

Source

Dairy-Rich Diets Augment Fat Loss on an Energy-Restricted Diet: A Multicenter Trial

Michael B. Zemel et al. · Nutrients · 2009

DOI 10.3390/nu1010083

rct · n=106Cited 72×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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