Professor Tim Noakes has changed the status of dairy products from "all-you-can-eat" to eat "with caution" after dieters complained that they weren't losing weight quickly enough, the Sunday Times reported.

Noakes admitted that cream and yoghurt had been "quietly removed" from the green list on the Real Meal Revolution website, the weekly said.

Noakes told the publication that the changes were made by the co-authors of the book, nutritionist Sally-Ann Creed, cookery writer Jono Proudfoot and chef David Grier, after dieters complained about slow losses.

However, a week later, the products were back on the green list.

Creed had suggested that these dieters may be consuming too many dairy products.

According to the newspaper, the Noakes team were putting together a statement to clear up the confusion.

They had also added a note to the frequently asked questions section, stating: "We have found that some people are losing dramatically more weight if they omit dairy. We have left dairy on the green list, but you will need to monitor your weight loss and your dairy intake."

The note added that if a person was not losing enough weight, they should try cutting out dairy.

Noakes has attracted both acclaim and criticism for popularising the "Noakes diet", one low in carbohydrates and high in fat.

Dieticians had expressed concern that a reduction in dairy products would lead to a lower intake of essential nutrients, the newspaper reported.