Here’s big news in the fight against obesity. According to researchers at the University of Newcastle in English, some types of seaweed actually fight fat.
This research was conducted by Iain Brownlee, a researcher in molecular physiology, and Jeff Pearson, a biochemist. It was unveiled at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society last week in San Francisco. Dr. Brownlee stated that some large algae could reduce the absorption of fat by over 75%.
Alginate, a natural fibre found in seaweed, was tested and compared to 60 other types of fibre to see how much fat could be removed with an artificial digestive system.
The results show that these fibres actually work better than weight loss drugs sold in pharmacies. "There are countless miracle drugs to lose weight. But few of them may be based on scientific evidence," said Dr. Brownlee.
In the future alginate could be added to foods such as bread, biscuits or yogurt, thus preventing 75% of the fat to be absorbed by the body.
Initial tests have proved promising. This will require clinical trials to see if everything is as effective as people think. If so, these fibres could be the next big remedy against obesity.