Dairy Beloved

Cheesed off that cheese is mostly a no-go zone if you’re watching your weight? We've got some good news for you.

Cheese can help you shed pounds, say Australian researchers. In a study done at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, western Australia, 40 volunteers were put on a calorie-controlled diet. The ones that loaded up on dairy – upgrading from three servings to five of yogurt, low-fat milk, and yes, cheese – lost the most weight.

As a bonus, they also had lower blood pressure and the least stomach fat. And the five-a-day folks felt more full after their meals, thanks to the protein and fat.

"Many people commonly believe that when trying to lose weight, dairy products are key foods that they have to cut out of their diet as they are high in fat," lead researcher (big cheese?) Dr. Wendy Chan She Ping Delfos told the UK’s The Telegraph.

"This study has shown that when trying to lose weight people can actually benefit by increasing the amount of dairy they consume, as long as during the weight loss period total energy intake is less than their requirements," she said.

Translation: You can't have pizza and nachos (at least not on the same day), and whichever you choose shouldn’t exceed the total number of calories you burn in a day.

Two words: Cheese, please! 

Photo courtesy ulterior epicure via Flickr.