Potato Extract May Control Obesity by Preventing Weight Gain

Could there be a way to control obesity using a potato extract? Scientists have discovered that this simple extract may limit weight gain from a diet that is high in fat and refined carbohydrates.

Obesity is a growing problem. Both children and adults suffer from being overweight, which is why it's important to learn what treatments can help patients lose weight.

In order to see whether a compound could limit weight gain, the researchers fed mice an obesity-inducing diet for 10 weeks. The mice quickly gained weight, putting on about 16 grams after weighing just 25 grams previously. Some of the mice, though, were also fed a potato extract in addition to the obesity-inducing diet. Surprisingly, the mice that also consumed the extract gained much less weight-only 7more grams.

"We were astonished by the results," said Luis Agellon, one of the authors of the new study, in a news release. "We thought this can't be right-in fact, we ran the experiment again using a different batch of extract prepared from potatoes grown in another season, just to be certain."

The actual dose of the extract comes from 30 potatoes. Obviously, though, someone can't eat 30 potatoes per day. Instead, in the future the extract may be available as a dietary supplement or even as a cooking ingredient that could be added in the kitchen.

"Potatoes have the advantage of being cheap to produce, and they're already part of the basic diet in many countries," said Stan Kubow, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We chose a cultivated variety that is consumed in Canada and especially rich in polyphenols."

The findings could potentially be used to help those who are suffering from obesity. Currently, the scientists plant to patent the potato extract, which could mean that it might some day be available for the public to use.

The findings are published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

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