Adding dairy to a diet helps people consume more calories while maintaining their weight, according to a new study published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism.
The study found that while eating the suggested three servings of dairy per day didnt help people to lose or keep weight off, it did allow them to take in more calories without putting on weight, which can assist in preserving weight loss.
In the study, obese patients who lost 10 percent of their body weight and consumed more than three servings of dairy per day were eating 9 percent fewer calories per day in total than at the beginning of the study and maintaining their weight.
By contrast, those eating less than a serving of dairy per day were consuming 22 percent fewer calories.
The researchers now believe that although diets consisting of the suggested daily serving of dairy contain more calories, it has comparable effects on the body as diets low in dairy.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that adults eat three cups of dairy product per day, which can consist of milk, cheese, yogurt and other milk-based products.