Switching to whole grains can melt away your belly fat. Penn State researchers compared two groups of overweight dieters: One group swapped white bread and pasta for whole-wheat products, while the other ate the same number of calories as the first group but did not make the switch.

Although all the dieters lost about 10 pounds in 3 months, the whole-grain eaters dropped twice as much belly fat.

The study authors credit the extra fiber and antioxidants in whole grains, which help control inflammation and insulin (a hormone that tells your body to store belly fat).

In other news, it seems prudent to have your coffee without any artificial sweeteners. That’s because Sweet’N Low could be even worse for your belly than sugar is, according to a Purdue University study.

When the scientists fed rats yogurt sweetened with saccharin, the rodents gained 36 percent more fat in 5 weeks than those who ate yogurt containing sugar. The researchers believe zero-calorie sweeteners may change the way a rat’s body digests food, tricking it into storing more fat.

What about humans? More research is needed to see if we fall into the saccharin trap. [source: Men's Health]