Molasses extract helps in reducing obesity
Tuesday, 12 July 2011, 23:46 IST
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Sydney: Supplementing your diet with a molasses extract could help you shed weight or reduce obesity, say researchers The study, conducted on mice by Richard Weisinger at the La Trobe University, Australia, investigated the impact of adding molasses extract to a high fat diet. Mice were given either an unaltered high fat diet, or the same diet supplemented with two percent or four percent molasses extract, according to a statement by the university. After 12 weeks on these diets, mice that consumed the diet containing four percent molasses extract had lower body weight, reduced body fat, and decreased blood levels of leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells. "The addition of molasses extract to a high fat diet appears to reduce body weight and body fat levels primarily through reduced caloric absorption," said Weisinger. "Clinical trials scheduled next year will provide the opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of molasses extract for weight control in humans," he added. Molasses extract is rich in polyphenols, a group of chemical compounds found in plants that are known for their antioxidant properties, believed to play a role in the prevention of cancer, coronary heart disease and even altitude sickness. These findings will be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) which started Tuesday at Florida, US.
Source: IANS