A new food supplement may switch off cravings for high calorie foods

Obesity is a horrible problem with it appearing to many people that an addiction to sugar and other high calorie foods is as serious as heroin addiction. It has been reported by Imperial College London that a new food supplement may switch off cravings for high-calorie foods. Volunteers were asked by scientists from Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow to drink a milkshake that either contained an ingredient called inulin-propionate ester, or a type of fibre which is called inulin. It has been found in previous studies that bacteria in the gut release a compound which is called propionate when they digest the fiber inulin and this can signal to the brain to decrease appetite. It has been observed that the inulin-propionate ester supplement causes the release of much more propionate in the intestines than inulin alone. The researchers found when volunteers drank the milkshake which contained inulin-propionate ester, they had less activity in the areas of their brain which are linked to reward when looking at the foods which are high in calories. When the volunteers drank the milkshake with the inulin-propionate ester supplement they rated the high calorie foods as not being as appealing. These volunteers were also observed to eat 10 per cent less pasta than when they drank the milkshake which contained inulin alone.It has also been observed that people who ate this ingredient did not gain as much weight. The researchers say eating enough fiber to naturally produce similar amounts of propionate would be very hard to do. It is believed if we add this supplement to foods it could decrease the urge to eat high calorie foods.This study has been published in the journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study offers us an interesting consideration to help reduce cravings for high calorie foods.