Recent research has found that consuming seaweed can help lower the risk of developing obesity, according to a study presented at the annual American Chemical spring meeting.

For three years, a team of researchers studied kelp containing dietary fibers, which are bundles of carbohydrates originating in plants that absorbed into the human gut. Using an artificially constructed gut, the investigators tested more (more than? approximately?) 60 types of natural fibers in the seaweed, and examined how they were digested and absorbed.

The study found that consumption of seaweed could lower the amount of fat absorbed in the body by 75 percent.

The aim of this study was “to put these products to the test and our initial findings are that alginates significantly reduce fat digestion,” stated Iain Brownle, a faculty member from the Newcastle University. He explained that “[adding] the natural fiber to products commonly eaten daily – such as bread, biscuits and yogurt – up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body.

More than 30 percent of men and women aged 50 to 59 years old are considered obese, according to the Obesity Society.