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Fighting fat with 'liquid lunch'
16/05/2008 07:38 - (SA)
Geneva - A "liquid lunch" could no longer mean a few pints down at the pub, but instead a healthy way to lose weight, according to a study presented on Thursday by scientists from food giant Unilever.
The scientists found that bulking up the volume of food with certain gases or water can make you feel fuller, and reduces the amount you eat afterwards.
In a study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Geneva, scientists from Unilever's research laboratories tested a full milkshake-like meal on 24 people, and a half-sized version bulked up with gas similar to that used in aerosol whipped cream.
It turned out that the gas-filled meal actually reduced appetite more than the standard one, according to the research.
'A pleasant surprise
"What was really surprising was that satiety was maintained for one to two hours or even longer. We know that the problem for some is that satiety is often lost after 15 minutes or so, so this was a pleasant surprise," Sergey Melnikov, who was a research and development project leader on weight management, told AFP.
He explained that for many who were attempting to lose weight, it was the maintenance of the weightloss regime and a lack of satiety that was difficult.
Therefore, food types that can keep a person feeling full could have an effect in helping people eat less.
However, not all gases worked.
Carbon dioxide, such as in carbonated drinks, for instance, did not do the job.
"It has to be gases that can be stabilised in the food so it doesn't leave the body before it reaches the stomach," said Melnikov.
As for why such gas-filled liquid meals work or whether the same effect could be had on solid food, Melnikov said his team had yet to find answers.
"We need more evidence. But this is certainly just a beginning of the journey," he said.
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