Satiety Ingredient
09/05/12 10:56 Filed in: Innovation | Weight Management
Research presented at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical shows that a new version of methyl cellulose—a food additive that has been used for more than 50 years—may offer a satiating effect when added to yogurt, fruit shakes, smoothies, and other foods.
Methyl cellulose is a white powder that dissolves in cold water to form a thick solution that turns into a “gel” or gelatin-like material upon heating. It provides a pleasant texture and holds together the ingredients in hundreds of food products like baked goods, sweet and savory snacks, and ready meals. Carsten Huettermann, lead presenter from Dow Wolff Cellulosics, said that this is the first use of methyl cellulose as a satiety ingredient in food. Huettermann explained that conventional versions of methyl cellulose pass through the stomach rapidly and do not work as a satiety ingredient. This new form of the ingredient—SATISFIT-LTG—however, forms a gel at body temperature, and the gel lingers in the stomach before passing into the small intestine.
In the current study volunteers who consumed SATISFIT-LTG experienced a reduction in the sensation of hunger that lasted until the consumption of a following meal in which the volunteers could eat as much as they wanted (2 hrs after eating SATISFIT-LTG) and a statistically significant reduced intake of calories at this meal. The consumption of SATISFIT-LTG resulted in a 13% decrease in calorie intake.
The scientists are developing SATISFIT-LTG as a potential ingredient in cold foods, such as smoothies and yogurts, and Huettermann said that work will continue based on the promising clinical trial results.
Methyl cellulose is a white powder that dissolves in cold water to form a thick solution that turns into a “gel” or gelatin-like material upon heating. It provides a pleasant texture and holds together the ingredients in hundreds of food products like baked goods, sweet and savory snacks, and ready meals. Carsten Huettermann, lead presenter from Dow Wolff Cellulosics, said that this is the first use of methyl cellulose as a satiety ingredient in food. Huettermann explained that conventional versions of methyl cellulose pass through the stomach rapidly and do not work as a satiety ingredient. This new form of the ingredient—SATISFIT-LTG—however, forms a gel at body temperature, and the gel lingers in the stomach before passing into the small intestine.
In the current study volunteers who consumed SATISFIT-LTG experienced a reduction in the sensation of hunger that lasted until the consumption of a following meal in which the volunteers could eat as much as they wanted (2 hrs after eating SATISFIT-LTG) and a statistically significant reduced intake of calories at this meal. The consumption of SATISFIT-LTG resulted in a 13% decrease in calorie intake.
The scientists are developing SATISFIT-LTG as a potential ingredient in cold foods, such as smoothies and yogurts, and Huettermann said that work will continue based on the promising clinical trial results.