Is Curd Good for Weight Loss……? 10 Amazing Ways to Aid Weight Loss

Curd is considered a complete, natural and healing food that can protect us from various diseases.

It boosts immunity, increases stamina, and is effectively used to prevent, manage and for treatment of various diseases.

Curd is the richest source of probiotics that provide healthy microflora to our digestive tract thereby improving gut health. Curd is low in calories, and high in protein and other vital nutrients. In this article, we will know is curd good for weight loss or not and its overall health benefits.

Curd, also known as dahi, is made from milk by fermenting it overnight resulting in bacterial action. In this process, lactose, found in milk gets converted into lactic acid. Curd is a popular product that originated in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. Today also, it is easily available at every home of Indians as it is part of the Indian diet. Curd is usually prepared from the milk of Cow and Buffalo.

Read More:   Is Paneer Good for Weight Loss..?

Is Curd Good for Weight Loss?   

Yes, Studies have shown that curd is a natural probiotic that is found effective for weight loss.  Curd helps to maintain a healthy BMI, improves digestion and accelerates metabolism which helps with weight loss.

Curd is a complete, nutritious and super healthy food that is rich in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics and can be consumed regularly by those who are interested in losing weight and want a healthy lifestyle.

Let’s understand is curd good for weight loss how it works on the body and what are the benefits of incorporating curd into your daily diet during your weight loss journey.

Benefits of Curd for Weight Loss

Let’s watch out benefits of curd and 10 Amazing Ways to Aid Weight Loss

1.  Rich in Nutrients:  Curd is rich in protein, low in carbs, nutrient-rich and low glycaemic index (GI) food, ideal as a weight loss superfood.

2. Reduces the Appetite: Protein in curd and its low GI facilitates slow digestion, promotes satiety, and delays hunger, reducing food cravings. Thus, it prevents from munching on extra calories.

3. Reduces Stubborn Fat: Curd plays a vital role in fat metabolism that helps to burn stubborn body fat, especially around the waist and thighs.

4. Calcium Helps in Fat Regulation:  Studies have shown that Calcium helps reduce fat by breaking down the fat cells, promotes satiety and helps the body to prevent fat absorption.

5. Accelerates Metabolism: Curd is a natural probiotic that helps to balance the gut bacteria, improves digestive health and increases metabolism. Improved metabolism supports weight loss burning calories more effectively.

6. Regulates Body Fluid Level Balance: Curd is a good source of potassium which helps to regulate the balance of the body fluids and prevents water retention in the body. This way helps to maintain the weight.

7. Regulates Blood Pressure: Potassium also regulates nerve function, blood pressure, muscle contraction and transports nutrients into cells, and prevents osteoporosis.

8. Low in Fat: Consuming high saturated fat food like meat is one of the major causes of heart disease, obesity, and weight gain. However, the curd is low in fat content and rich in essential nutrients, which helps to lose weight.

9. Gives Energy: Curd is rich in minerals and protein. Regular consumption of curd helps to provide energy and get rid of fatigue, reduces muscle pain and maintains good health.

10. Rich in Protein: Curd is an excellent source of protein that helps the growth and repair of tissues in the body. The protein preserves your body’s lean muscle while losing fat in your weight loss journey.

How To Eat Curd for Weight Loss?

• Eating curd one to two cups a day can help to lose weight.
• Always prefer plain, low-fat, homemade fresh curd.
• Try not to use sugar, but if you like sweet curd, you can use a teaspoon of jaggery granules.
• You can have plain curd or make buttermilk of it and have it along the meals. According to Ayurveda, buttermilk is a hydrating drink that supports the smooth digestion of food.
• One should avoid the combination of curd with onion, fruits, milk, fish, meat, and chicken, as said in Ayurveda.
• Curds are ushna (hot) in nature, and take time to digest, they should be preferred to eat in the daytime. One should avoid consuming curd at night.
• Always use fresh curd, if curd is too sour it may give rise to digestive issues and headaches.

When to Eat Curd For Weight Loss? Best Time to Eat Curd for Weight Loss?

Curd is digested slowly in the body and provides energy that sustains for longer. So, it’s better to have curd in the daytime so that you can utilize the energy well.

Benefits of Eating Curd Daily

Curd has the potential to give numerous benefits as it is rich in vital nutrients, probiotics and antioxidants. Let’s check, what can we yield by daily consumption of dahi in the diet.

1. Curd helps to boost immunity
2. Curd is a rich source of probiotics which help to improve digestion and take care of gut health.
3. It increases metabolism
4. It helps to burn body fat, thereby helping to lose weight.
5. Curd helps to regulate blood pressure and is good for heart health.
6. Daily consumption of dahi helps to reduce the stress.
7. It is high in protein and potassium which contributes to healthy muscle growth.
8. Curd helps to keep the skin moisturized and supple.
9. Dahi is rich in calcium, phosphorus and magnesium which contributes to bone health. Thus it works great for hair, teeth and bone health.
10. Curd is a rich source of probiotics also called healthy bacteria which provide health benefits to people suffering from Liver disease, Cancer, Helicobacter pylori, inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and pancreatitis.

Curd Benefits for Hair

1. Curd is packed with the nutrients Vitamin B, Zn, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, protein and Selenium. These nutrients stimulate the hair follicle, and repair and promote hair growth.
2. Curd acts as an antioxidant and has moisturizing properties that help to hydrate and provide volume to the hair.
3. Nowadays, applying curd to the scalp has become very common. This can help you to get rid of dead skin, dry and itchy scalp, or any other bacterial issue that may be seen on the scalp.
4.  It is also considered an antifungal that can be beneficial for dandruff as well.
5. Incorporating curd into your diet can help to boost hair growth, enhance the hair texture, reduce hair fall and promote the strengthening of hair.

Yogurt and Curd Difference

The difference between yogurt and curd starts from the preparation method.

Yogurt is prepared commercially by fermenting boiled and cooled milk using live strains of more than one bacterium like lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. Yogurt cannot be prepared at home.

On the other hand, the curd is prepared at home by fermenting lukewarm milk with the addition of acidic curdling agents like 1- 2 tablespoons of curd from a previous batch of curd or buttermilk, lemon, or vinegar.

Yogurt contains a higher number of bacteria giving it a thicker and creamier texture and is available in different flavours in the market.

Curd is plain, doesn’t contain any artificial flavor and is prepared traditionally at home.

Precautions

Curd is a very important part of the Indian diet and is considered to be a topmost superfood. However, if you are not consuming curd in the right way it may result in various health issues. Many people are not aware and end up eating curd in the wrong way.

• Curd is not recommended for individuals suffering from inflammatory diseases like rheumatic arthritis or joint stiffness as curd can aggravate these symptoms.
• Intake of curd is not recommended at night, as it may increase kapha dosh in your body. If it is unavoidable, then add jaggery or honey to the curd before consuming.
• Buttermilk is the better option for curds at night for dinner meals.
• Excess consumption of curd may give rise to cough and cold, respiratory disorders and breathing issues.
• If the curd is sour, it may not be beneficial for individuals suffering from gastritis.
• Sour curd may increase pitta dosh and give rise to indigestion, acidity, or headache.
• It is better to avoid curd for those who are suffering from indigestion, cough, cold, nausea, or obesity.

 Conclusion

In this article, we explored whether is curd good for weight loss ..? and have concluded that

• Consuming curd in moderation regularly in your diet allows easy digestion, regulates your metabolism and helps to reduce weight.
• It also gives you strong bones and teeth, supports heart health, regulates blood pressure and maintains the body’s fluid level.
• It strengthens the muscles and provides healthy skin and hair.
• It provides energy and keeps you hydrated.

FAQ’s

Q1. Can I eat curd every day?

Ans. Yes, Daily consumption of curd helps to improve digestive health, keeps you hydrated, increases metabolism, and gives energy. Its nutrients support heart health, and bone health and optimize overall health. 100 grams of curd can be taken daily.

Q2. When curd should be avoided?

Ans. Although curd is beneficial, still consumption of curd needs to be avoided in people suffering from joint pain, joint stiffness, rheumatoid arthritis, indigestion, nausea, skin allergic conditions, obesity, cough, and cold. As per Ayurveda, if curd is consumed regularly in these medical conditions, it may aggravate the symptoms of these diseases and worsen them.

Q3. Is Dahi hot or cold?

Ans. According to Ayurveda, curds are sour, heavy to digest and hot in potency.

Q4. Is curd fat or protein?

Ans. Curd is rich in protein and low in fat. The fat content of curd also depends on the quality of milk, skimmed milk, or whole milk used to make curd. Low-fat curd is recommended to incorporate into the diet.

Q5. Is curd good for fat loss?

Ans. Yes, Curd is a good source of calcium. Researchers suggest that calcium helps to break down fat and decrease fat synthesis. It lowers fat absorption and promotes fecal fat excretion. This way it helps to reduce body fat and keep your weight in check.

 Q6. Is curd good for weight loss at night?

Ans. Curd is a superfood for weight loss but it’s not recommended to consume curd at night as it is heavy to digest and also increases kapha dosh in the body and may give rise to cough, cold, sinusitis, increased mucous secretion, respiratory and breathing issues.

 

References

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258944/

5. Watanabe D, Kuranuki S, Sunto A, Matsumoto N, Nakamura T. Daily Yogurt Consumption Improves Glucose Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity in Young Nondiabetic Japanese Subjects with Type-2 Diabetes Risk Alleles. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 29;10(12):1834. doi: 10.3390/nu10121834. PMID: 30501031; PMCID: PMC6316314.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6316314/

6. Soumya Pragyan Das, Manorama Patri and Prafulla Kumar Mohanty Therapeutic Uses of Curd: A Review IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT) e-ISSN: 2319-2402,p- ISSN: 2319-2399.Volume 13, Issue 1 Ver. I (January. 2019), PP 01-04 A1301010104.pdf (iosrjournals.org)

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