SPINACH EXTRACT DECREASES CRAVINGS, AIDS WEIGHT LOSS
A spinach extract
containing green leaf membranes called thylakoids decreases hedonic hunger with
up to 95% -- and increases weight loss with 43%. This has been shown in a
recently published long-term human study at Lund University in Sweden.
Hedonic hunger is
another term for the cravings many people experience for unhealthy foods such
as sweets or fast food, a common cause of obesity 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 having 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 5 grams of
spinach extract and the other half, the control group, were given a 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 3.5 kg while the group that was given
thylakoids lost 5 kg. The thylakoid group also found that it was easier to
stick to three meals a day -- and they did not experience any cravings,"
said Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson.
The key is the
feeling of satiety and suppression of hedonic hunger, vs homeostatic hunger
that deals with our basic energy needs. 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. The thylakoids extend digestion, producing a feeling of satiety. 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," says Charlotte
Erlanson-Albertsson.
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