Potato Extract May Treat Obesity
Image: McGill Univ.Take a look in your pantry: the miracle ingredient for fighting obesity may already be there. A simple potato extract may limit weight gain from a diet that is high in fat and refined carbohydrates, according to scientists at McGill Univ. The results of their recent study were so surprising that the investigators repeated the experiment just to be sure.
Investigators fed mice an obesity-inducing diet for 10 weeks. The results soon appeared on the scale: mice that started out weighing on average 25 grams put on about 16 grams. But mice that consumed the same diet but with a potato extract gained much less weight: only seven more grams. The benefits of the extract are because of its high concentration of polyphenols, a beneficial chemical component from the fruits and vegetables we eat.
