Sodium alginate is a seaweed-derived fibre that has previously been shown to moderate appetite in models of acute feeding. The mechanisms underlying this effect may include slowed gastric clearance and attenuated uptake from the small intestine. In order to assess whether alginate could be effective as a means of appetite control in free-living adults, sixty-eight males and females (BMI range: 18.50-32.81kg/m 2 ) completed this randomised, controlled two-way crossover intervention to compare the effects of 7 day daily ingestion of a strong-gelling sodium alginate formulation against a control. A sodium alginate with a high guluronate content was chosen because, upon ingestion, it forms a strong gel in the presence of calcium ions. Daily preprandial ingestion of the sodium alginate formulation produced a significant 134.8 kcal (7%) reduction in mean daily energy intake. This reduced energy intake was underwritten by significant reductions in mean daily carbohydrate, sugar, fat, saturated fat and protein intakes. The absence of any significant interaction effects between the main effect of preload type and those of gender, BMI classification and/or timing of preload delivery indicates the efficacy of this treatment for individuals in different settings. These findings suggest a possible role for a strong-gelling sodium alginate formulation in the future management of overweight and obesity.

The consumption of seaweed isolates (such as alginate) has been shown to successfully reduce energy intake and modulate glycaemic and cholesterolaemic responses. To date, the effect of adding whole seaweed to bread has not been widely investigated. This study aims to investigate the acceptability of Ascophyllum nodosum enriched bread, and measure its effect on energy intake and nutrient absorption in overweight, healthy males. Results from the acceptability study, (79 untrained sensory panellists) indicated that it is acceptable to incorporate seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) into a staple food such as bread when up to 20g are added to a 400g wholemeal loaf. A single blind cross over trial (n=12 males, aged 40.1±12.5 years; BMI 30.8±4.4 kg/m2) was used to compare energy intake and nutrient uptake after a breakfast meal using the enriched bread against the control bread. Consumption of the enriched bread led to a significant reduction (16.4%) in energy intake at a test meal 4 hours after breakfast. Differences between treatment arms for area under the curve, peak values, and time of peak for blood glucose and cholesterol were not significant. Further investigation of potential mechanisms of action is warranted. Here in we present, for the first time, that energy intake can be significantly reduced following the consumption of Ascophyllum nodosum enriched bread compared to a control (standard wholemeal) bread. To date, no research has been conducted on the inclusion of whole seaweed in bread and its effect on energy intake, although some work has been published using seaweed isolates such as alginate (Wolf et al., 2002; Williams et al., 2006;Paxman et al., 2008; Hoad et al., 2004; Mattes et al., 2007). We describe how the consumption of bread enriched with Ascophyllum nodosum at breakfast, reduced energy intake at a test meal 4 hours later with no apparent effect on glucose, cholesterol, hunger or fullness. Results from this study suggest that the consumption of whole seaweed may be beneficial in reducing short term energy intake, presenting an attractive option for weight loss or weight maintenance. In light of the rising levels of overweight and obesity, manipulating the satiating capacity of food may prove beneficial in the control of food intake, and potentially therefore, weight regulation. With this in mind, we believe this article will be of significant interest to the wider scientific community, particularly to readers of Appetite. This research was approved via the appropriate University ethics procedures (reference number CFI/2009/RE06).This manuscript has been prepared in line with the 'Guide for Authors' published on the journal website. I hereby affirm that the content of this manuscript is original. Furthermore, it has been neither published elsewhere fully or partially in any language nor submitted for publication (fully or HighlightsWe investigate the acceptability of Ascophyllum nodosum enriched bread.We measure the effect of A. nodosum enriched bread on markers of appetite.A. nodosum e...

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We have used a cross-over study design in human subjects to monitor the uptake of glucose, cholesterol and triacylglycerides (TAG) in human subjects with normal and high body mass index (BMI). Our pilot data demonstrate that uptakes of glucose, TAG and cholesterol are all increased with increasing percentage body fat, and that a 1.5g dose of a strong-gelling alginate may restore uptake of cholesterol and glucose to normal levels.