November 5, 2008 – Olive oil may help increase feelings of fullness and counter the tendency to snack between meals. At least that’s what American and Italian researchers think, who recently published the results of a test conducted on rats.1.
Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that olive oil is particularly rich in, is thought to trigger satiety signals in the body, which would have prompted rats to eat less, their results show.
The researchers infused, directly into the small intestine of the rats, oleic acid, palmitic acid (saturated fatty acid), proteins or carbohydrates (carbohydrates). Only oleic acid had the effect of increasing the production of oleoylethanolamide, a hormone that acts as a transmitter of satiety signals and therefore decreases appetite.
According to the authors of the study, an adequate intake of oleic acid could help to prolong the interval between the meals and prove to be useful in the fight against the excess weight.
Caution is needed, however, according to Angelo Tremblay, nutrition researcher at Laval University. “The discovery is certainly interesting, but there is still a lot of clinical research to be done before concluding that systematic intake of oleic acid can actually lead to weight loss in people suffering from overweight. “
In addition, an inadequate intake of certain nutrients would have the effect of stimulating appetite, as if the body was trying to fill a deficit by consuming more food, he emphasizes. “In our research2.3, emphasizes the researcher, we have found that this is particularly the case in people who consume little calcium and vitamin D: when they are provided with an adequate intake, among other things by the consumption of dairy products, it facilitates the loss weight. “
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to The Globe and Mail.
1. Schwartz GJ, Fu J, Astarita G, et al. The lipid messenger OEA links dietary fat intake to satiety. Cell Metab. 2008 Oct; 8 (4): 281-8.
2. Major GC, Chaput JP, Ledoux M, et al. Recent developments in calcium-related obesity research. Obes Rev. 2008 Sep; 9 (5): 428-45.
3. Major GC, Alarie F, Doré J, et al. Supplementation with calcium + vitamin D enhances the beneficial effect of weight loss on plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan; 85 (1): 54-9. Full text: www.ajcn.org.
