Junk food ‘made healthier’ by seaweed

Junk food could be made healthier by the addition of a seaweed extract, scientists have claimed.

Scientists at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne said that the highly-fibrous seaweed extract, alginate, could be used to increase the fibre content of cakes, burgers and other types of ‘junk food’.

Alginate is an extract from brown-coloured seaweed called Lessonia and Laminaria, which is found in the Far East, South America and parts of Norway and Scotland.

The report, published in ‘Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition’, said that alginate strengthens mucus, the body’s natural protection of the gut wall, and slows down digestion and the uptake of nutrients in the body.

The extract, which is high in fibre, is already used in by the food industry as a gelling agent.

Professor Jeff Pearson from the Newcastle research team, said: “We’re just not eating enough fibre, yet we need this to keep us healthy. We believe it’s hard to change people’s habits and that the most practical solution is to improve the food they do eat. With a burger, for example, you would simply remove some of the fat and replace it with the seaweed extract, which is an entirely natural product from a sustainable resource. You’d have a healthier burger and it’s unlikely to taste any different.”

Professor Pearson said that the extract could be added to a variety of foods, including synthetic creams and yoghurts. He said: “With pork pies, one of my favourite foods, it could replace the gelatine which usually covers the meat, as the seaweed extract has gelling properties too.”

However, Professor Pearson said that adding alginate to bread was probably the best way to introduce it to the general population. He said: “Adding the seaweed extract could quadruple the amount of fibre in white bread.”

The Newcastle team believes that the discovery will help tackle the problem of obesity and diabetes, as well as help combat heart disease and diseases such as bowel cancer.

Studies have shown that high-fibre diets, including fruit and vegetables, brown bread and cereals such as bran flakes, can help reduce the incidence of diseases such as bowel cancer.

(KMcA/SP)