Spinach Compound Counters Cravings

Many people experience cravings for unhealthy foods such as sweets or fast food, and acquiescing to them can lead to unhealthy eating habits and obesity.  Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson, from Lund University (Sweden), and colleagues enrolled 38 overweight women in a  three-month long study in which every morning before breakfast the participants consumed a green drink. Half of the women were given 5 grams of spinach extract containing thylakoids (green leaf membranes); the other half (the control group) received a placebo.  All subjects ate a balanced diet including three meals a day.  Whereas the control group lost an average of 3.5 kg, the group that consumed the thylakoids-containing beverage lost 5 kg. The thylakoid group also found that it was easier to stick to three meals a day – and they did not experience cravings.  The study authors observe that: “addition of green-plant membranes as a dietary supplement once daily induces weight loss, improves obesity-related risk-factors, and reduces the urge for palatable food.”