Dietary seaweeds and obesity

Potential therapeutic benefits of seaweed consumption have been reported in the management of body weight and obesity. In vitro and in vivo animal studies provide the majority of data available at present. The majority of studies assessing the short-term effects of alginate consumption indicate that alginate may increase satiety, reduce energy intake and support weight reduction. Mechanisms suggested for these effects include delayed gastric clearance, stimulation of gastric stretch receptors and attenuated nutrient absorption. Long-term studies in humans are required in order to allow firm conclusions. Animal studies have investigated potential anti-obesity effects of seaweeds on adipogenesis and the inhibition of major lipid hydrolyzing and metabolizing enzymes. The results of these studies suggest beneficial effects of seaweed components such as fucoxanthin on body weight and the percentage of abdominal white adipose tissue. It is premature to extrapolate these findings to humans since consistent findings are still lacking. There is at present no solid evidence indicating that seaweeds are effective in long-term weight management. However, available findings suggest potential benefits of seaweed components on obesity. Future investigations are required to establish the therapeutic efficacy in the management of overweight and obesity in humans and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of actions.