Researchers are investigating whether eating dairy products can lead to weight loss.
In Chinese medicine, excess weight occurs when the Water element is stronger than the Fire element. Dairy products belong to the Earth element, which has the property of reducing Water. Eating dairy products is therefore likely to help with weight loss.
But this only applies to those who tolerate dairy well. For everybody else, it’s more likely to have the opposite effect. Dairy products tend to generate mucus, which gets in the way of digestion; this, in turn, decreases Fire, which tends to lead to weight gain.
An excess of dairy products can also lead to heart and lung problems.