Seaweed: Surprising fat-fighter

Do you eat seaweed? You should. A new study from Newcastle University in England found that this superfood reduces the body’s ability to absorb fat by up to 75%–significantly more than the OTC weight loss supplements currently on the market (or anything else that scientists have found so far, for that matter).

Researchers found that a natural fiber in sea kelp called Alginate seems to block the gut’s ability to fully digest fat. That’s huge, because gram for gram, fat is higher in calories than protein and fiber (although it’s worth noting that monounsatured and polyunsaturated–found in foods like peanuts, fish and olive oil–are good for you better and appear to be less likely to pack on pounds than saturated and trans fats ).

The catch–and yes, there’s always a catch, isn’t there?–is that the Newcastle researchers have only proved seaweed’s obesity-thwarting ability in an artificial gut in a lab setting. Still, the seaweed beat out 59 other types of natural fiber, and the researchers hope to begin its obesity-fighting effects in humans soon.

Seaweed isn’t exactly a staple of the American diet, although you can order a seaweed salad at most Japanese restaurants. And fortunately, it’s becoming common enough that you can even pick it up as a side dish at places like Kroger and Whole Foods. What’s really cool, though, is that many food manufacturers use Alginate to add extra fiber to bread and other baked goods in order to boost their fiber content. You can bet that this new research will encourage them to add even more.

–Camille