The first satiety study to use whole food seaweed instead of aglinates was conducted at the Sheffield Centre for Food Innovation in 2009, sponsored by the Seaweed Health Foundation, to see whether a larger amount of seaweed granules than had been used in the Seagreens® bread trials, might have an effect on satiety in overweight male subjects.

This clearly demonstrated that with an acceptable level of Seagreens in a conventional breakfast was enough to prevent weight gain and assist weight loss.

There had been a number of trials in which alginates extracted from seaweed, had been shown to reduce appetite, but Seagreens wanted to demonstrate that the whole, natural seaweed is preferable not least because it is highly nutritious - goodness which is lost in the alginate extraction.

The same seaweed used throughout the research is readily available to consumers and nutrition practitioners, improves nutrient uptake and has been successfully tested for consumer acceptability in taste panels.

The postulate was that if seaweed were to become a common food ingredient, it may help reduce weight as well as replace some or all of the salt in a single meal.

The research trials demonstrated the potential which Seagreens® may have in obesity and that even at an inclusion level of 15 - 20% in a meal its taste is acceptable.

It was the recipient of the Alpro Foundation Masters Award in November 2010.

The body of work was published February 2012 in the peer reviewed Journal of Appetite. 

Please contact Seagreens Information Service about the research, its application in weight management and its implications for diabetic foods and in other special diets.