Scientists are developing an 'anti-hunger' additive that when used in yoghurts and smoothies will make you feel full after eating small amounts.
Researchers from German firm Dow Wolff Cellulosics found that after eating the ingredient, SATISFIT-LTG, thirteen per cent fewer calories were consumed at the following meal, the Telegraph reported.
Dr Carsten Huettermann told the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia that tests found volunteers felt full after eating smaller amounts of food containing the substance.
Volunteers who ate food containing the additive consumed 13 per cent fewer calories when given a second meal two hours later.
The additive is a new version of a substance called methyl cellulose, which is used as a binding agent in snacks such as ready meals and baked goods.
In its normal state, the ingredient passes through the stomach very quickly and does not make the person who has eaten it feel any less hungry.
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In the new additive it is modified to form a gel at body temperature, meaning it remains in the stomach for longer and is absorbed by the small intestine.
"This ingredient would make people feel full after eating smaller amounts of food. With that sense of fullness and hunger-satisfaction, they would not crave more food," Huettermann added.