Brown seaweed contains promising fat fighter, weight reducer

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Brown seaweed used as a flavor component in many Asian soups and salads contains a compound that appears in animal studies to promote weight loss by reducing the accumulation of fat according to researchers at Hokkaido University in Japan. Shown is U ...
Brown seaweed, used as a flavor component in many Asian soups and salads, contains a compound that appears in animal studies to promote weight loss by reducing the accumulation of fat, according to researchers at Hokkaido University in Japan. Shown is Undaria pinnatifida, a type of brown seaweed also known as wakame. Credit: (Photo courtesy of Kazuo Miyashita, Ph.D., Hokkaido University, Japan)

Chemists in Japan have found that brown seaweed, a flavor component used in many Asian soups and salads, contains a compound that appears in animal studies to promote weight loss by reducing the accumulation of fat. Called fucoxanthin, the compound achieved a 5 percent to 10 percent weight reduction in test animals and could be developed into a natural extract or drug to help fight obesity, the researchers say.


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