Greek yogurt is proven to reduce hunger, increase fullness, and delay subsequent eating as compared to consuming other foods that are lower in protein and nutrients. But the science goes deeper than just ‘keeping you full’. Greek yogurt, in addition to other high protein foods such as grass-fed beef and other dairy products, contains naturally produced chemicals called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) [R]. These supergroups are found in the fatty acid linoleic acid linked directly to the reduction of body fat and long-term weight management and health. Boom! Not only does Greek yogurt fight obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis, the CLA found in Greek Yogurt promotes weight loss and maintaining insulin resistance, as well [R].

^{10 Reasons Why Greek Yogurt Is Great For Weight Loss}

1. Greek Yogurt Is High In Protein 

Whether you eat it for a snack or as a main meal, Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt. It has been proven to improve appetite control, satiety and energizes you. Protein is only received in the body from food and protein intake matters! Protein supports functions in the body ranging from lean muscle mass to creating disease-fighting antibodies and enzymes [R]. Protein is also one of the necessary macro-nutrients necessary for metabolism, growth, and other functions in the body, that is needed in higher amounts. Satisfy hunger, feel full longer, reduce overeating, and deliver good, clean nutrients to your body with protein-packed Greek yogurt. Not to mention, eating breakfast that is higher in protein leads to a greater reduction in hunger compared to eating breakfast higher in carbohydrates [R].

FUN FACT: In one 6oz serving of Greek yogurt you will be receiving anywhere from 15-20 grams of protein! That amount is equivalent to 2-3oz of lean meat. Greek yogurt is a great addition to any diet to help with weight loss. 

2. Greek Yogurt Is Low In Carbohydrates

There are no big secrets behind the benefits and success of a low-carbohydrate lifestyle.

RELATED ARTICLE Is a Low Carb Diet Right For You?

Carbohydrates are sugars and starches, often from overly processed foods, that the body uses as an energy source. Greek yogurt is a great food to implement if you’re trying to keep them on the lower side and are looking for a power-packed food that will leave you feeling healthy and full. Greek yogurt has nearly half the amount of carbs versus regular yogurt (5-8g versus 13-17g per serving). [R].

PRO TIP: Avoid buying Greek yogurt that has preservatives and flavored versions of the original unflavored version. Instead, add in your own goodies at home – chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, frozen berries, fresh fruit, flaxseed, cinnamon, stevia, honey, granola, etc.

3. Greek Yogurt Helps With Inflammation 

Many people find that dairy is positively correlated with inflammatory responses or processes, however, that's not the case not when it comes to Greek yogurt. Research has actually been shown to prove that Greek yogurt that contains probiotic strains of Lactobacillus actually promotes the formation of a desirable anti-inflammatory environment in the blood system.[R] The effects of probiotics may be a consequence of the body working against potentially pathogenic/pro-inflammatory endogenous microbiota in the digestive system. A healthy tummy means a healthy body in a lot more ways than one.

RELATED ARTICLE How To Naturally Reduce Post Workout Inflammation

4. Greek Yogurt Is A Dairy Alternative for Lactose Intolerance

Low carbohydrates and naturally lower lactose levels? Now that’s a match made in heaven! For individuals who are lactose intolerant or sensitive to lactose, Greek yogurt is a great addition to still reap the benefits without the negative side effects of consuming dairy products. [R]. Greek yogurt is a more easily digestible alternative to milk in efforts to get adequate amounts of important nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Greek yogurt can actually help soothe the uncomfortable digestive issues many individuals receive from consuming dairy by providing a safe, cost-effective, and ‘natural’ approach that adds a barrier against microbial infection while promoting weight loss.

5. Greek Yogurt Is Low On The Glycemic Index

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a general ranking system widely used to rank how various carbohydrate foods affect blood glucose levels [R]. Typically speaking, a rank of 55 or less are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolized better, and cause a slower rise in blood glucose + insulin levels. Greek yogurt ranks on this scale (that goes to 100) from 6 to just 11 points!! Did we mention it’s a great food for individuals who may struggle with high blood pressure and/or try to manage diabetes as well as those who struggle to shed extra, unwanted pounds? The bottom line is this; foods lower on the glycemic index, will produce less blood glucose and insulin, which will avoid creating added body fat. Therefore, greek yogurt is a great addition to help with weight loss.

High simple carbohydrate diets have long been associated with a risk of insulin resistance and poor glycemic control. Not consuming Greek yogurt on a regular basis leads to greater insulin resistance and related chronic disease development, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The Glycemic Index Foundation states that “carbohydrate is an essential part of our diets, but not all carbohydrate foods are created equally” [R].

^{** In response to a comment to specifying how Greek Yogurt & the insulin index** "Hyperinsulinemia may not be a concern for yogurt because, although its Insulin Index is higher than it's GI, the Insulin Index of yogurt is within the range of Insulin Index values for nondairy low-GI foods. Additionally, mixed meals containing dairy protein elicit insulin responses similar to those elicited by mixed meals of a similar composition containing nondairy protein. Because of the GI of yogurt is lower than that of most other carbohydrate foods, exchanging yogurt for other protein and carbohydrate sources can reduce the GI & glycemic load of the diet, and is in line with recommended dietary patterns, which includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, vegetable oils and yogurt." Source: Wolever TM. Yogurt Is a Low-Glycemic Index Food. J Nutr. 2017;147(7):1462S-1467S.}

6. Greek Yogurt Helps With Healthy Bowel Movements

What is your poo telling you? Most of the western population encounter unhappy bowel movements such as diarrhea, bloating, stomach cramps, and many others as a direct result of poor diet and lack of healthy gut bacteria consumption [R]. It’s been proven that Greek yogurt is extremely helpful in alleviating digestive and bowel issues and can be used as a useful and safe tool for managing these issues. Ever have constipation or lack of excretion following taking antibiotics? Yep – bet you have! Whenever you are advised by a physician that you have to take such medicine, make sure to increase your probiotic/Greek yogurt consumption so you can experience relief and instead of experiencing the other negative side effects! [R].

7. Greek Yogurt Helps Reduce the Effects of Seasonal Allergies

Probiotics are a novel approach to combatting the negative side effects of seasonal allergies. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is an antibody that you naturally produce to travel in the bloodstream that stimulates the release of antihistamine. You can tell when you have high levels of IgE through symptoms of watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose. Since Greek yogurt has high levels of good bacteria can significantly lower these levels of IgE causing less reaction(s) to seasonal allergens [R].

8. Greek Yogurt Is High In Calcium

The secret is out – Greek yogurt has one of the highest concentrations of absorbable calcium per serving! One 6oz serving of Greek yogurt provides nearly 20% of the daily recommended amount of calcium. Calcium is an essential nutrient needed throughout the entire lifecycle and while we may think we get enough… we don’t. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that nearly 10 million Americans already have osteoporosis and another 34 million have low bone density [R]. Calcium goes a lot further than just building and maintaining healthy bones though. Your body requires calcium to make your muscles move, carrying blood through the entire body, the ability for nerves to communicate with each other, all the way to releasing hormones and enzymes in nearly every single function in the body.

9. Greek Yogurt Is High In Probiotics And Helps Boost Your Immune System

A happy tummy is a key to a happy life, right!? Well, send in the good bacteria (probiotics) troops because they've got infections to fight off and weight to lose! Greek yogurt contains high levels of healthy bacteria that your GI tract uses to fight off disease-causing pathogens, absorbing nutrients, and keeping your body strong. The most common probiotics are Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bifidobacteria bifidum. The gastrointestinal tract (GI) begins with the mouth and ends in your large intestine which covers a lot of ground!¹⁴ It is your first line of defense against infection and staying healthy so you can see why it’s important to supplement your lifestyle with probiotics. So, I suppose the claim is right, a happy tummy means a healthy and happy life!

RECOMMENDED PRODUCT Probiotix (60 Servings)

10. Greek Yogurt Helps With Stomach Ulcers

While we’ve covered many strong arguments for how Greek yogurt positively affects your health and how important it is to start implementing in your current lifestyle we have just one more we’d like you to take home. The fight against the painful and negative side effects of stomach ulcers and other gastric diseases. H. pylori bacteria is a successful pathogen and responsible for nearly 90% of all stomach ulcers [R].

While typically treated with antibiotics and acid suppressants, regularly consuming Greek yogurt introduces the healing properties of healthy bacteria as a natural and less expensive way of slowing the growth and development of H. pylori in the body. While Greek yogurt isn’t a cure-all for these issues, it is useful in helping prevent or subside the adverse effects of antibiotics, modulating the immune response, gastro-protection, and the general promotion of health.

The Best Greek Yogurt For Weight Loss 

With high protein content and less than 10g of sugar per serving, these three brands, prove to be the healthiest greek yogurt for weight loss. Not to mention, the most delicious. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Greek Yogurt proves to be a great food to promote weight loss, as it boasts a high protein content while being low in fat, carbs, calories, and sugar. Plus it's rich in probiotics to help with immune and digestive health, providing good bacteria for a healthy gut biome. If weight loss is your goal, Greek Yogurt has many great benefits to help you meet your goals. While Greek Yogurt does not have magical weight-loss powers, it has a high satiating factor, which will help you meet your weight loss goals.

SWOLVERINE is an endurance athlete and active lifestyle brand. Made for the elite athlete, and the strong-willed our products were designed to fuel your athletic performance. We perform when you perform. 

We believe that everyone can optimize not only their athletic performance but their human potential. The way we believe we can optimize performance is through transparency, clinically effective doses, and clinically proven ingredients with evidence-based outcomes. We provide the nutrients you need to power your active lifestyle.

References

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3. Ortinau LC, Culp JM, Hoertel HA, Douglas SM, Leidy HJ. The effects of increased dietary protein yogurt snack in the afternoon on appetite control and eating initiation in healthy women. Nutr J. 2013;12:71.
4. Crowder CM, Neumann BL, Baum JI. Breakfast Protein Source Does Not Influence Postprandial Appetite Response and Food Intake in Normal Weight and Overweight Young Women. J Nutr Metab. 2016;2016:6265789.
5. El khoury D, Brown P, Smith G, et al. Increasing the protein to carbohydrate ratio in yogurts consumed as a snack reduces post-consumption glycemia independent of insulin. Clin Nutr. 2014;33(1):29-38.
6. Lorea baroja M, Kirjavainen PV, Hekmat S, Reid G. Anti-inflammatory effects of probiotic yogurt in inflammatory bowel disease patients. Clin Exp Immunol. 2007;149(3):470-9.
7. Parvez S, Malik KA, Ah kang S, Kim HY. Probiotics and their fermented food products are beneficial for health. J Appl Microbiol. 2006;100(6):1171-85.
8. Panagiotakos DB, Tzima N, Pitsavos C, et al. The relationship between dietary habits, blood glucose and insulin levels among people without cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes; the ATTICA study. Rev Diabet Stud. 2005;2(4):208-15.
9. Available at: http://www.gisymbol.com/about/glycemic-index/how-is-the-gi-measured/. Accessed August 4, 2017.
10. De paula JA, Carmuega E, Weill R. Effect of the ingestion of a symbiotic yogurt on the bowel habits of women with functional constipation. Acta Gastroenterol Latinoam. 2008;38(1):16-25.
11. Hickson M. Probiotics in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile infection. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2011;4(3):185-97.
12. Toh ZQ, Anzela A, Tang ML, Licciardi PV. Probiotic therapy as a novel approach for allergic disease. Front Pharmacol. 2012;3:171.
13. Beto JA. The role of calcium in human aging. Clin Nutr Res. 2015;4(1):1-8.
14. Kechagia M, Basoulis D, Konstantopoulou S, et al. Health benefits of probiotics: a review. ISRN Nutr. 2013;2013:481651.
15. Ayala G, Escobedo-hinojosa WI, De la cruz-herrera CF, Romero I. Exploring alternative treatments for Helicobacter pylori infection. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(6):1450-69.