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New edible gel can help fight obesity

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Press Trust of India London
Now, you can eat to lose weight!

Scientists have invented an edible gel that swells in the tummy to make people feel full for longer - and can offer a novel method to fight obesity.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have found a way of combining two food ingredients that when exposed to stomach acid will expand to form a solid gel.

The edible gel swells in the stomach to make dieters feel fuller, 'The Telegraph' reported.

The gel is believed to be harder to digest and breaks down slowly, leaving the person feeling less hungry and therefore reducing their desire to snack or overeat.
 

Researchers now hope to develop the gels so they can be incorporated into foods to help dieters feel fuller for longer, the report said.

"One way of tackling the high and rising levels of morbid obesity in today's society is to control the consumer's energy intake from foods," Jennifer Bradbeer, a chemical engineer who has been leading the project, said.

Scientists are using the ingredients derived from seaweed, starch, and citrus peel.

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First Published: Jan 05 2014 | 5:05 PM IST

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