A compound found in a type of brown seaweed called wakame could become a useful treatment in the fight against obesity, experts say.
Tests on the compound, called fucoxanthin, have found that it is able to promote significant weight loss, with scientists from Hokkaido University in Japan feeding obese mice and rats an edible form of the compound and reporting reductions in fat tissues of around ten per cent.
Dr Kazuo Miyashita, who led the research, explained that fucoxanthin appeared to work by triggering a fat-burning protein already in the body, causing fat deposits, particularly around the organs, to disappear.
However, obese people are not advised to eat the seaweed, or miso soup in which it is a crucial ingredient, as fucoxanthin is not easily absorbed in its natural form.
Dr Miyashita said that the compound is not expected to become available to the public as a tablet for several years.