Is SEAWEED the key to weight loss? Student receives grant for research
It is a staple of sushi and poke bowls, but there may be more to seaweed than just that extra punch of flavour we love so much.
In fact, one Queensland student may be well on the way to discovering if the algae can actually help us lose weight.
Jessica Pahl, 22, has just received a $45,000 busary from the State Government to continue researching if seaweed holds the secret to staying skinny.
Jessica Pahl, 22, has just received a $45,000 busary from the State Government to continue researching if seaweed holds the secret to staying skinny.
Pahl, a University of Southern Queensland student who is studying for her PhD, will use the money to conduct three rounds of tests on albino rats.
The seaweed will be given to the rats in powder form so that it be easily consumed.
Pahl revealed that, depending on the results, she hopes to then carry out human trials for a potential new anti-obesity pill, according to The Chronicle.
The student is expanding on research already conducted by both her school and James Cook University, which she said got 'exciting results'.
Pahl will test different types of seaweed species with varying levels of fibre and antioxidants, known to be helpful in halting weight gain.
Seaweed was first hailed as a superfood in 2015, when celebrity chef Jamie Oliver credited the algae for helping him lose nearly 12 kilos.
Oliver called it the 'most nutritious vegetable in the world', and corresponding research seemed to agree.
A 2014 Newcastle University study discovered that the alginate in seaweed can help stop our body from absorbing fat.
Research found that patients who added seaweed to their diet reduced their fat absorption by a third, with further research suggesting it could cut fat absorption to a whopping 75 per cent.
It was also discovered in 2006 that fucoxanthin, a pigment found in the brown seaweed wakame, could also aid weight loss.
Fucoxanthin stimulates the production of a protein that ramps up the body's ability to burn fat and keep those extra pounds off our waistlines.
Researchers at the Hokkaido University in Japan discovered that subjects who consumed fucoxanthin lost five to 10 per cent of their body weight.
Seaweed is also low in calories and packed with fibre, which help slow down digestion and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
The algae is likewise high in iodine, a mineral known for supporting the thyroid as it works to balance our hormones.
If all this isn't reason enough to reach for that sushi or poke bowl for lunch, seaweed has another health benefit that everyone would surely get behind.
The algae is high in magnesium, a mineral whose levels are depleted in our body after too many schooners.
And who doesn't love a delicious hangover cure?
Article Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4553706/Seawood-key-weight-loss-new-study-reveals.html
Image Source:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/05/30/01/40ECDCB900000578-0-image-a-1_1496105076155.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1.Staple = (n.) a main or important element of something, especially of a diet.
2. Bursary= (n) BRITISH a scholarship to attend a college or university.
3. Potential = (adj.) having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.
4. Halting = (v.) bring or come to an abrupt stop.
5. Hailed = (v.) To acclaim enthusiastically as being a specified thing.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What are the super foods that you know?
2. What are the healthy benefits of seaweeds on your food diet according to your culture?
3. What healthy food do you add on your diet and why?
4. What is more effective for weight loss going to the gym or eating healthy? Why?
5. What are the home remedies that you know that can help you cure your hangover?
