Thylakoids from spinach enhance weight loss, new study shows

Published: 3-Sep-2014

Recently published long-term human study shows a patented spinach extract decreases hedonic hunger and increases weight loss


In a recently published long-term human study by researchers at Lund University, a patented spinach extract containing green leaf membranes called thylakoids was shown to decrease hedonic hunger by up to 95% and increase weight loss by 43% compared with placebo.1

Hedonic hunger is another term for the cravings many people experience for unhealthy foods such as sweets or fast food, a common cause for overweight and unhealthy eating habits. The study shows that taking thylakoids reinforces the body’s production of satiety hormones and suppresses hedonic hunger, which leads to better appetite control, healthier eating habits and increased weight loss.

'Our analyses show that taking a drink containing thylakoids before breakfast reduces cravings and keeps you feeling more satisfied all day,' says Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson, Professor of Medicine and Physiological Chemistry at Lund University.

The study involved 38 overweight women and ran for three months. Every morning before breakfast the participants had a green drink. Half of the women were given 5g of spinach extract and the other half, the control group, were given placebo. The participants did not know which group they belonged to – the only instructions they received were to eat a balanced diet including three meals a day and not to go on any other diet.

'In the study, the control group lost an average of 3.5kg while the group that was given thylakoids lost 5kg, which is 43% more. The thylakoid group also found that it was easier to stick to three meals a day - and they did not experience any cravings,' said Erlanson-Albertsson.

The key is the feeling of satiety and suppression of hedonic hunger, vs homeostatic hunger that deals with our basic need of energy. Modern processed food is broken down so quickly that the hormones in the intestines that send satiety signals to the brain and suppress cravings cannot keep up. The green leaf membranes slow down the digestion process, giving the intestinal hormones time to be released and communicate to the brain that we are satisfied.

'It is about making use of the time it takes to digest our food. There is nothing wrong with our digestive system, but it doesn’t work well with the modern “pre-chewed” food,' Erlanson-Albertsson explained. 'The thylakoids extend the digestion, producing a feeling of satiety and reducing hedonic hunger. This means that we are able to stick to the diet we are meant for without snacks and unnecessary foods like sweets, crisps and such.'

Reference

1. 'Body weight loss, reduced urge for palatable food and increased release of GLP-1 through daily supplementation with green-plant membranes for three months in overweight women', Montelius C., Erlandsson D., Vitija E., Stenblom E. L., Egecioglu E., Erlanson-Albertsson C., Appetite, Published online June 30, 2014. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24993695

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