Effect of Alginate on Satiation, Appetite, Gastric Function, and Selected Gut Satiety Hormones in Overweight and Obesity

Abstract

Lack of control of food intake, excess size, and frequency of meals are critical to the development of obesity. The stomach signals satiation postprandially and may play an important role in control of calorie intake. Sodium alginate (based on brown seaweed Laminaria digitata) is currently marketed as a weight loss supplement, but its effects on gastric motor functions and satiation are unknown. We evaluated effects of 10 days treatment with alginate or placebo on gastric functions, satiation, appetite, and gut hormones associated with satiety in overweight or obese adults. We conducted a randomized, 1:1, placebo‐controlled, allocation‐concealed study in 48 overweight or obese participants with excluded psychiatric comorbidity and binge eating disorder. All underwent measurements of gastric emptying (GE), fasting, and postprandial gastric volumes (GVs), postprandial satiation, calorie intake at a free choice meal and selected gut hormones after 1 week of alginate (three capsules vs. matching placebo per day, ingested 30 min before the main meal). Six capsules were ingested with water 30 min before the GE, GV, and satiation tests on days 8–10. There were no treatment group effects on GE or volumes, gut hormones (ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1), peptide YY (PYY)), satiation, total and macronutrient calorie intake at a free choice meal. There was no difference detected in results between obese and overweight patients. Alginate treatment for a period of 10 days showed no effect on gastric motor functions, satiation, appetite, or gut hormones. These results question the use of short‐term alginate treatment for weight loss.

24-h pH-metry and Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance Monitoring in Obese Patients with and without Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptoms

“…Using only structured clinical questionnaires would therefore be inappropriate to evaluate these patients especially whenever bariatric treatment has to be considered. Moreover, in accordance with previous observations [15,16] the EE prevalence in our asymptomatic obese patients was not negligible (10/20) and not significantly lower than non-obese GERD patients (12/15) and obese GERD patients (6/15).…”

“…The differences between the groups are significant when p<0.05; NS not significant findings were lacking in the other investigated groups and surprisingly in all the obese patients without symptom distinction. These findings could be due to different motility abnormalities in the upper digestive tract, recently demonstrated in obesity by means of manometry and MII [6,7,11,15]. The presence of hiatal hernia, especially larger than 3 cm, can also jeopardize the LES function and enhance esophageal acid clearance [3].…”

“…24-h pH-metry+MII monitoring was carried out by a recording system (Sandhill Scientific, Inc. Co, USA). Impedance electrodes were set at 3,5,7,9,15, and 17 cm above the LES. The presence of hiatal hernia, its size, and erosive esophagitis (EE grading by the Los Angeles (LA) Classification) were detected endoscopically in the groups of patients.…”

A Review of Weight Control Strategies and Their Effects on the Regulation of Hormonal Balance

“…These hormonal effects may primarily be related to ghrelin and insulin and possibly cortisol [33, 35]. …”

Empty calories and phantom fullness: a randomized trial studying the relative effects of energy density and viscosity on gastric emptying determined by MRI and satiety

“…However, the literature has been inconsistent when it comes to whether viscosity directly slows gastric emptying. In certain studies, the viscosity did not slow gastric emptying (14,15); in other studies, the viscosity delayed the GER (16,17). Hoad et al (18) reported no difference in gastric emptying between a control guar gum and an intragastric gelling stimulus but did find different fullness scores.…”