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# Alginate your next weight loss dietary supplement
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/alginate_your_next_weight_loss_dietary_supplement_1110131200/
- Published: 2013-11-10T12:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:21:21.000Z
- Description: A Food Chemistry study from Newcastle University found alginate, derived from seaweed, inhibited pancreatic lipase by up to 72 percent with a synthetic substrate and 58 percent with a natural one. High-G alginate was the stronger inhibitor, pointing to less dietary fat being absorbed.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Sunday Nov 10, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study scheduled to appear in the March 2014 issue of Food Chemistry suggests that a food ingredient called alginate may be one of the best weight loss dietary supplements everyone can use to help them to lose weight.

Matthew D. Wilcox and colleagues from Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Medical School, Newcastle University in Tyne and Wear, UK coducted the study and found alginate able to reduce pancreatic lipase activity.

Pancreatic lipase helps break down tricylglycerol or dietary fat for the body to absorb. Reduction in the activity of this enzyme means with the prsence of some alginate, dietary fat is less likely to be used by the body which can lead to weight loss.

For the study, the researchers tested pancreatic lipase activity with alginate added to the medium and they found that alginate can inhibit pancreatic lipase by up to 72% with synthetic substrate and with a natural substrate, the inhibition rate was up to 58%, whis is quite significant.

Alginates are derived from seaweed. Alginates are comprised of mannuronic acid (M) and guluronic acid (G) and have been known to inhibit enzyme activity. The study also found an type of alginate with high G derived from Laminaria hyperborea seaweed was a stronger inhibitor for pancreatic acid than an type of alginate with high M derived from Lessonia nigrescens. For the purpose of weight loss, therefore, the high G alginate is more desirable.

The possible mechanism behind the enzymatic inhibition is that alginate increases the viscosity of the medium and reduces the breakdown of fat per unit of time per unit of weight.

The study suggests that alginate may be used in processed foods or simply used as a weight loss dietary supplement. To have an effect on the uptake of dietary fat, 2 to 5 grams of alginate may be enough to reduce the activity pancreatic lipase and promote weight loss.

Alginate is used in food industry as a thickener, stabilizer and gelling agent. It has been used in the food industry for more than 50 years. No side effects have ever been reported.

An early study in International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research suggests that 

supplementation with high G alginate and dietary calcium can reduce food intake and also help reduce postprandial glycemic response. This finding indicates that alginate supplementation can not only help type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Authors of the study A. Ohta and colleagues from Nutritional Science Center, Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. in Saitama, Japan found that rats fed high G alginate along with calcium can actually reduce the dorsal abdominal adipose tissue. This finding indicates that alginate can help weight loss.

The researchers said both reduced viscosity and gel formed by alginate and calcium play a role in the reduction in the postprandial glycaemic response and the dorsal abdominal adipose tissue.

At this time, few companies promote alginates as a weight loss supplement. Because this food ingredient is cheap and safe, and better yet now that it shows some efficacy in reducing fat adsorption, food intake and abdominal adipose tissue, it may soon become a popular weight loss supplement. (David Liu, PHD)