Seaweed might help fight obesity, study says

BEIJING,. March 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Seaweed may help tackle obesity, researchers at Newcastle University have said in a study presented at the American Chemical Society's spring meeting in San Francisco.

The researchers have found alginate, a fibre found in kelp, helps reduce the body's fat uptake by more than 75 percent.

Now the fibre is being added to bread in an effort to develop foods that may help people lose weight and clinical trials are now being conducted to ascertain its effectiveness in a normal diet.

Dr Iain Brownlee, who co-led the team, said, "This research suggests that if we can add the natural fibre to products commonly eaten daily, 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 taste tests have been extremely encouraging," Dr Brownlee said. "There are countless claims about miracle cures for weight loss but only a few cases offer any sound scientific evidence to back up these claims...These initial findings suggest alginates could offer a very real solution in the battle against obesity."