Fighting fat with food

REPORTER: Vassil Malandris

BROADCAST DATE: July 13, 2006

Australian scientists have revealed four foods that could help you lose weight without diet or exercise, but still warn against being a couch potato.

Losing weight without needing to diet or exercise sounds too good to be true, but the new secret to fighting obesity may be in a tiny tablet.

According to Adelaide researchers, it is true. And it does not involve a drug.

UNISA Professors Jon Buckley and Peter Howe say they have been investigating the effects of a variety of healthy food sources to find out which fight fat.

Their discoveries were startling.

"The beauty of these things is that you can incorporate them into your diet without having a calorie restricted diet that people tend not to stick with," Professor Buckley said.

"There's a growing interest in nutrients around the world that can reduce weight and improve health."

These nutrients are called polyphenols. They can be found in green tea, dark chocolate and red grapes. Combine that with the Omega 3 found in fish and you may have a naturally-occurring weight loss pill.

"If you take polyphenols, which occur in green tea or cocoa or grapes, if you take some of these polyphenols they also reduce body fat," Professor Buckley explained.

He said there could be other health benefits in addition to shedding unwanted kilos.

"They can improve blood flow, so they improve the blood vessel function," Profesor Buckley said.

"But they can also plug in to a number of tissues in the body, muscle, fat, liver and change the machinery inside so those deposit less fat and burn more fat."

Future couch potatoes beware: while these supplements could help you lose lose weight, do not abandon your plans to try and maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.

"We would not be advocating that people don't exercise," Professor Buckley said.

"Because there are independent benefits of doing exercise that you don't get from taking these nutrients."

Professor Howe explained more about the approach.

"We're not just focusing on weight management, but looking at the whole picture of health status," he said.

Summer is just around the corner and this could be the answer to getting back into shape that many of us have been looking for.

But be warned against rushing out to buy these capsules: they will not hit the stores until more thorough tests have been completed

"We need to establish whether taking too much can be harmful," Professor Howe said. "All these questions have to be addressed."

Professor Buckley warned against quick-fix solutions.

"Crash diets before summer, random exercise, doesn't work," he said. "We need longer term strategies."

"We're looking for simpler options to try and help people get an added benefit, longer term benefits."

Posted from http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=29232