Seaweed to Tackle Rising Tide of Obesity

G_j

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Mon Mar-22-10 02:44 PM
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Seaweed to Tackle Rising Tide of Obesity

Edited on Mon Mar-22-10 02:54 PM by G_j

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/health-well-being/stories/seaweed-fights-fat-better-than-anti-obesity-pills#

Seaweed fights fat better than anti-obesity pills
Dietary fiber in kelp could fight obesity naturally by dramatically reducing the amount of fat absorbed by the body.

By Stephanie Rogers
Mon, Mar 22 2010 at 1:33 PM EST

The key to fighting obesity may be washing up on seashores around the world, according to a new study that reveals the natural fat-blocking properties of kelp. Scientists have found that dietary fiber in this common seaweed can reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body by up to 75 percent, reports Science Daily.

Dr. Iain Brownlee and Professor Jeff Pearson of Newcastle University found that a natural fiber in kelp called Alginate fights fat even more effectively than anti-obesity treatments currently sold over the counter.

But that doesn’t mean dieters will have to stomach swallowing large amounts of seaweed in order to lose weight. The research team plans to add alginate to foods that are commonly eaten on a daily basis such as bread, yogurt and biscuits. Up to three-quarters of the fat contained within that meal could pass through the body rather than being absorbed.

"We have already added the alginate to bread and initial taste tests have been extremely encouraging. Now the next step to to carry out clinical trials to find out how effective they are when eaten as part of a normal diet."

In fact, the benefits of kelp as a dietary supplement extend beyond weight loss. It also boosts to fiber intake and reportedly improves the flavor of foods – tasters found the texture and richness of alginate-enhanced bread appealing.

"Alginates not only have great potential for weight management -- adding them to food also has the added advantage of boosting overall fibre content,” says Dr. Brownlee.

edit to add original Science Daily article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100321203508.htm

Seaweed to Tackle Rising Tide of Obesity

ScienceDaily (Mar. 22, 2010) — Seaweed could hold the key to tackling obesity after it was found it reduces fat uptake by more than 75 per cent, new research has shown.

Now the team at Newcastle University are adding seaweed fibre to bread to see if they can develop foods that help you lose weight while you eat them.

A team of scientists led by Dr Iain Brownlee and Prof Jeff Pearson have found that dietary fibre in one of the world's largest commercially-used seaweed could reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body by around 75 per cent.

The Newcastle University team found that Alginate -- a natural fibre found in sea kelp -- stops the body from absorbing fat better than most anti-obesity treatments currently available over the counter.

Using an artificial gut, they tested the effectiveness of more than 60 different natural fibres by measuring the amount of fat that was digested and absorbed with each treatment.

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