Can Milkshakes Really Help You Lose Weight? We Analyze The Too-Good-To-Be-True Claim

The "too good to be true" scientific study is pervasive, from "a glass of wine is equivalent to an hour at the gym" to eating chocolate as an effective diet tool. The latest from this suspicious batch is research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that claims drinking milkshakes between meals can stave off hunger and actually help you lose weight.

The study found that people who drank high-caloric, high-carb, and high-protein shakes in between breakfast and lunch ate less during lunch than they would normally because of the texture of the milkshake; the thicker the better.

"[The findings] underline the importance of oral exposure and 'mouthfeel characteristics' of a food product when it comes to influencing appetite," study author Guido Campos told FoodNavigator. "This is at the least an indication that increasing the thickness of diet shakes may be an interesting avenue to pursue further."

So is this legitimate? Unfortunately, probably not. For starters, the study only tested 15 men with an average body mass index of 22.6, a very small sample size. Plus, the milkshakes used in the study sounded (and had the nutrient density of) diet shakes or protein shakes, according to analysts at the Huffington Post.

In conclusion, think twice before ordering a McFlurry as part of your newest diet plan.