Seaweed Reduces Fat Absorption by 75%

NEWCASTLE, United KingdomResearchers at Newcastle University found dietary fiber in one of the worlds largest commercially used seaweed may reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body by 75 percent, and may be the key to tackling the worldwide obesity epidemic.

The research team found Alginate, a natural fiber 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 fibers by measuring the amount of fat that was digested and absorbed with each treatment. The findings were presented at the American Chemical Society Spring meeting in San Francisco.

This suggests that if we can add the natural fiber to products commonly eaten daily, such as bread, biscuits and yogurts, up to three-quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body, wrote the lead researcher. We have already added the alginate to bread and initial taste tests have been extremely encouraging. The next step is to carry out clinical trials to find out how effective they are when eaten as part of a normal diet.