Hello Everybody,
We are seeing media headlines about seaweed extract being the new wonder product to conquer obesity. Research - yes more research - tells us that alginate, a natural fibre found in seaweed, can remove fat from the food you consume. The more alginate eaten the more fat is removed from the body. Experts believe that it may be possible to make junk food, high in fat and calories, healthier by adding alginate. So the more you eat the more alginate you consume and gluttony helps weight loss.
Scientists from Newcastle University have found that alginate could be added to pies, burgers, cakes and other high fat foods. Very interesting, but this has all the hallmarks of a slow news day and a public relations exercise by a team needing more funding to carry on its research. Nothing wrong with that, but let us just look more closely.
We have a statement from team leader Dr Iain Brownlee. “Our initial findings are that alginates significantly reduce fat digestion. This suggests that if we can add the natural fibre to products commonly eaten today - such as bread, biscuits and yoghurts - up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body. We have already added the alginate to bread and initial 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.”
There you have it really. The initial trials were carried out using an artificial gut and measuring the fat absorption rate of a variety of natural fibres. Alginate came out the best. That is all Dr Brownlee knows at present. So we have a theory with no clinical trials to back it up. These trials must be carried out and I look forward to the results, but it will take time. In the meanwhile I do hope the media clams down a little and finds something else to write about.
For those who live on the coast there is a simple way to lose weight with seaweed and you can start today. Do not worry about seaweed extract. Just walk to the shore, climb down the cliff path and stroll a mile or so along the tide-line collecting seaweed in a basket as you go. Walk briskly back, climb the cliff, go home and throw the seaweed in the refuse bin. Do this every day and you will lose weight. Trust me, it works.
See you soon,
Peter Stockwell
24 March 2010
Photo. Kotobuki711 (Flickr)
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