Seaweed supplement may aid weight loss: study
A seaweed-based fiber supplement, taken daily before meals, helped people lose weight in a new study.
But that was only the case among people who stuck with the diet study over a few months. More than one-fifth of people dropped out when they couldn’t tolerate the supplement’s taste, texture and side effects.
Researchers have explored the potential of seaweed as an appetite suppressant, but so far products haven’t panned out.
“There have been problems in the past to develop something (that tastes) acceptable,” said Dr. Arne Astrup, one of the study’s authors from the University of Copenhagen and a member of the advisory board to S-Biotek, a Danish company that provided funding for the study.
Previous seaweed-based supplements were slimy and caused bloating, and they also had a fishy taste. The new supplement used in this study is less unpleasant — but there’s still room for improvement, said Astrup.
The supplement is based on the seaweed extract alginate, a thickening agent and a common ingredient in foods like soups and jellies. It’s also increasingly used by the weight-loss industry, marketed as an appetite suppressant.
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