Seaweed bread could be the latest weapon in fighting obesity, according to scientists.
A team from Newcastle University has found that seaweed added to bread, biscuits and yogurt can reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body but up to 75 percent.
The secret is the natural fibre alginate, found in sea kelp and already used in small quantities in food as a thickener. Early taste tests have suggested the idea of adding in greater quantities could be successful, reported telegraph.co.uk
“This suggests that if we can add the natural fibre 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,” said Dr Iain Brownlee.
“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,” he added.
The seaweed may be more effective than current weight loss products sold over the counter, he said.
