1. Spinach may help to improve weight loss efforts
A study has found that a spinach extract that contains green leaf membranes known as thylakoids reduces hedonic hunger by as much as 95%, and improves weight loss by 43%.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.06.101
Hedonic hunger is when cravings are experienced for unhealthy food such as fast food or sweets, and is a typical cause of unhealthy eating habits and obesity.
The study results reveal that consuming thylakoids reinforces the satiety hormone production and hedonic hunger is suppressed, which results in improved appetite control, and an increase in weight loss.
The 3-month long study consisted of 38 overweight women who consumed a green drink each morning before eating breakfast. Half of the participants consumed 5 grams of an extract of spinach and the other control group half consumed a placebo.
Both groups were instructed to consume a balanced diet which included 3 daily meals and to stick to the diet.
The control group lost 3.5 kg on average while the thylakoid group lost 5 kg on average and also found it easier to adhere to 3 daily meals without experiencing any cravings.
The main factor is the feeling of fullness and hedonic hunger suppression, versus homeostatic hunger that’s responsible for basic energy needs. Non-nutritious processed food is digested so quickly that the intestinal hormones sending satiety signals to the brain that help suppress cravings can’t keep up.
The membranes of the green leaves slow the digestion process down, giving the hormones of the intestine time to release and tell the brain that we’re satisfied.
Image Source – compoundchem