The Amazing Potential of Kanten for Weight Loss

If you're looking for help losing weight, you may have to look no further than across the seas to our slender neighbors in Japan who use kanten to promote fullness and suppress appetite. Women who consume kanten for weight loss on a daily basis reportedly consume up to fifty percent fewer calories on a daily basis than women who don't. It seems that this Japanese weight loss secret is out of the bag as more and more American women add Kanten seaweed to their daily diet.

What is kanten? Kanten is a rather tasteless dried seaweed that's high in fiber with zero calories. It's also known as agar-agar by the food industry where it's used as a thickening agent. It comes in the form of a tasteless powder which can be mixed with a variety of food and drinks. So popular is the Kanten seaweed craze that well known chefs are starting to design culinary creations around this high fiber, white powder.

The high fiber content of Kanten seaweed seems to be at least partially responsible for its ability to suppress appetite. When small amounts of the powder are consumed in juice or other liquid, it expands in the gut resulting in a natural sense of fullness. It also purportedly has other health benefits related to its fiber content including the potential to lower blood cholesterol levels. An additional advantage is that this powder can reduce constipation and is high in a variety of minerals including calcium.

Kanten seaweed is inexpensive and can be purchased in most natural food markets. You may need to ask for it by the name of agar-agar. It's recommended that seven ounces of kanten be mixed with juice and taken before meals to help reduce appetite. It's important to take kanten with plenty of liquid to maximize the appetite suppressant effect.