Derived from an algae and made up of 80% fibers, agar-agar is a very low-calorie vegetable and natural gelling agent that forms a gel in the stomach, which would increase the feeling of satiety and promote weight loss¹.

A study carried out in Japan in 2005 tested the effectiveness of agar-agar on 76 obese people with type 2 diabetes². The 76 people were divided into 2 groups: a control group subjected to a traditionally Japanese diet, and a group following the same diet but with an agar-agar supplement, for 12 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, the mean body weight, BMI (= Body Mass Index), blood glucose level, insulin resistance and hypertension had been significantly reduced in the 2 groups, but the group having received additional agar-agar obtained better results: a weight loss of 2,8 kg versus 1,3 kg and a decrease in BMI of 1,1 versus 0,5 in the control group.

Agar-agar turns into jelly at a temperature below 40 ° C, and only after being previously heated. Therefore, it can only be consumed in cooking in hot preparations, or which must be heated before consumption. It can therefore be consumed as a hot drink before it warms, so that the agar-agar turns into jelly inside the body, or in preparations of custards, creams, jellies. It is recommended not to consume more than 4 g of agar-agar per day. Although its side effects are uncommon, it can cause abdominal pain or diarrhea.

S. Lacoste, My bible of phytotherapy: the reference guide for healing with plants, 2014 Maeda H, Yamamoto R, Hiaro K, et al., Effects of agar (kanten) diet on obese patients with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes, Diabetes Obes Metab, 2005