Is Curd Good For Weight Loss? Let's Find Out

Curd is a soft white substance made by coagulating milk (converting liquid milk to a solid form with the help of acid or heat). Increased acidity caused milk protein to fuse into solid masses. This process is called curdling. It is the first stage of cheesemaking. 

Leaving the milk out to sour will also lead to curdling. Adding curd to your meals will not only benefit your health, but it also works as a good moisturizer for the skin.

Keep reading to know some amazing facts about curd for weight loss as well as the other benefits.

Obesity and its causes

Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat and risks health in many ways. Body mass index (BMI- measure your body’s average weight against your height) over 25 is overweight and over or equal to 30 is obese. 40 or higher BMI is considered a severe obesity problem. 

Of course, body fat is not a disease but having too much body fat can directly impact your body functioning which can get worse over a period of time and can lead to severe health issues. It increases the risk of heart problems, diabetes, and some types of cancers too. 

Causes of obesity and overweight

Usually, obesity is a genetically transferable problem, which is also caused due to some environmental factors, diet plans, exercise, physical activities, and other reasons.

Let's have a look at these reasons in brief-

Genetically: Studies say 80% of your weight and body are influenced by your genes. Variants in genes contribute to obesity by increasing hunger.

Sometimes hormones also cause you to continuously crave food even if your body does not need any extra calories.

Medication: There are some medicines that might affect your metabolism( diabetes drugs, steroids, etc.) which can cause weight gain.

Lifestyle: Today, most people have busy lifestyles, they do not have time to exercise, meet friends and family, not have meals at the proper time, and have junk food approx on a daily basis. 

Going to work and coming back home has become their lifestyle, they do not even have time to notice changes in their body, and in most cases, this lifestyle causes obesity and the problem of being overweight. When you do not burn enough calories on a daily basis it is stored in your body as fat. And caused obesity and obesity.

Stress: Ongoing stress causes the brain to release a hormone called cortisol which increases a person’s appetite, high cortisol levels can increase the risk of weight gain, headache, etc. if timely not solved then the appetite level remains increasing.

Sleep: Poor quality of sleep causes weight gain and obesity. Research has observed that sleeping less than 7 hours causes changes in weight. Insufficient sleep causes the release of ghrelin hormone known as the hunger hormone which leads to increased appetite and feeling less full. An adult should get a minimum of 7 hours of quality sleep at night.

Since the year 2019, there is a 50% increase in obesity cases in India. According to the report of World Obesity Atlas 2023, the obesity rate is likely to go up by 12% in India. 

In India, every one, in 16 women and every one, in 25 men is facing obesity and this rate is only increasing over the last 15 years. From the year 2015, the rate of being overweight has increased by 2.1%-3.4% in children under 5 years of age. A report by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) states that 4 billion people which means more than half of the world’s population will be obese by 2035. 

But, Does Curd Help in Reducing Weight?

Curd helps in controlling blood pressure, lowers cholesterol levels in your body, improves digestion, and has a high nutritional value as well as being helpful in weight loss. Because curd has low carb and high protein levels that’s what makes it perfect for weight loss. 

The protein present in curd helps the body in maintaining lean muscles and helps you to get rid of that extra belly fat. Live bacteria present in curd known as Lactobacillus bulgaricus, is rich in protein that supports losing weight as well as maintaining overall health. 

It has low calories and works as a weight reduction diet that helps you lose more body fat than other low-calorie diets which have no protein or calcium.

So YES! Curd definitely helps in maintaining and losing weight.

Other benefits that eating curd offers:

• Curd is good for digestion purposes
• Improves immunity
• Make bones and teeth strong
• Keep skin healthy
• Preventive in nature for premature wrinkles
• Helps with dandruff

When is a Good Time to Have Curd? 

Including curd in your diet plan will be really helpful. Having curd after your breakfast and lunch is a good idea as it is great for digestion but one shouldn’t take it at night before sleep as at night, “phlegm” is at its peak in your body, and consumption of curd can increase it which can lead to indigestion. 

It is also heavy in nature and takes a lot of time to digest. That's why you’re advised to take it after breakfast and lunch.

So YES! Curd definitely helps in weight loss and the way our lifestyle is, one cannot even realize if he/she is on the way to gaining weight. Therefore, a weight management screening test can help you and your family to diagnose if there’s any possibility.

You can get your test done by one of the most reliable diagnostic companies, Redcliffe Labs, which provides your accuracy in reporting on time. A timely checkup can help you keep you and your loved ones safe and sound.