Scientists believe that seaweed could hold the key to conquering obesity. It is shown by their research that it can reduce fat uptake by more than 75 per cent.

Now the seaweed fiber is being added to bread by the scientists at Newcastle University who are launching trials to see if foods can be developed which can even help people lose weight.

Dietary fiber in one of the world's largest commercially used seaweed could reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body by around 75 per cent, found the research team, led by Dr Iain Brownlee and Prof Jeff Pearson.

It was found by the team found that Alginate, a natural fiber found in sea kelp, stops the body from absorbing fat better than most anti-obesity treatments currently available over the counter.

They tested the effectiveness of more than 60 different natural fibers, using an artificial gut, by measuring the amount of fat that was digested and absorbed with each treatment.

The next step is to recruit volunteers and study whether the effects they have modeled in the lab can be reproduced in real people, and whether such foods are truly acceptable in a normal diet, Brownlee said.

Brownlee further added, "The aim of this study was to put these products to the test and our initial findings are that alginates significantly reduce fat digestion. This suggests that if we can add the natural fiber to products commonly eaten daily - such as bread, biscuits and yoghurts - up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body."

Brownlee also said, "We have already added the alginate to bread and initial taste tests have been extremely encouraging. Now, the next step to carry out clinical trials is to find out how effective they are, when eaten as part of a normal diet." (With Inputs from Agencies)