How A Bowl Of Soup Could Assist You In Weight Loss: Research Findings
Key Takeaways:
- A recent study suggests that consuming a serving of chicken soup before a meal might decrease your caloric intake by 20 percent, which can have potential benefits for managing obesity.
- A lifelong adherence to a vegetarian diet can significantly decrease the risk of developing colon cancer, as per another study.
- Electrical stimulation of the sacral nerve can aid patients with chronic constipation, leading to a significant improvement in their condition and quality of life.
- Intestinal cells, specifically mucosal enterochromaffin cells, might be potential targets for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. These cells react to certain herbs and spices by releasing serotonin, an important neurotransmitter in the regulation of intestinal functions.
Initiating your meal with a serving of chicken soup might have the potential to decrease your caloric intake by 20 percent, new research suggests. The study is one among several discussed at a notable Digestive Disease Meet in Washington, D.C. Other research findings highlighted the beneficial effects of electrical stimulation of the sacral nerve on significant constipation, how longstanding vegetarian diets can lower the odds of colon cancer, and the possibility of unique intestinal cells being potential targets for curative methods for digestive issues.
Caloric Intake and Soup Consumption
In an intriguing study, Dr. D. D. Chen and her colleagues at Duke University have discovered that intake of about 160 caloric content of a rich soup, such as chicken soup, prior to dinner may decrease the amount of food further consumed by 20 percent. “This could have potential therapeutic value in dealing with obesity,” opines Chen.
The study involved giving soup to 12 normal-weight and 12 obese participants before a buffet pizza meal. Surprisingly, both groups showed a decrease in consumption post the soup serving. “A fatty soup appetizer seems to reduce food intake amongst both lean and obese subjects,” continues Chen. Yet, she also pointed out that a protein-based soup, which had no fats and was made from eggs in this experiment, did not bring about such a decrease in food intake.
Life-Long Vegetarianism And Colon Cancer Risk
In yet another interesting study by Dr. Y. Shastri and colleagues at Goethe University Hospital, Germany, it was found that a life-long vegetarianism seemed to show a considerable reduction in the risk of developing colon cancer. This study involved data collection from 9,700 participants, of which over 2,000 were vegetarians since birth. After five years of monitoring, fewer cases of colon cancer were observed amongst vegetarians as compared to non-vegetarians.
According to Shastri, “A vegetarian diet shows reduction in colon cancer risk only if it is a lifelong practice.” He concludes that the study provides evidence on how a lifelong vegetarian diet could aid in preventing colorectal cancer.
Sacral Nerve Stimulation And its Effects
Two additional studies presented at the same event discussed electrical sacral nerve stimulation to alleviate constipation, and the likelihood of specific cells in the intestines, named mucosal enterochromaffin cells, as being potential candidates for addressing digestive issues.
In the first, a team led by Dr. T. C. Dudding from St. Mark’s Hospital in London, UK, found that implanted electrodes stimulating the sacral nerve assisted patients suffering from chronic constipation that failed to find relief with other treatments. Following sacral nerve stimulation, patients experienced a significant improvement with constipation and enhancement in quality of life.
In the second study, Dr. P. Voland and colleagues from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, found that mucosal enterochromaffin cells reacted to certain herbs and spices, such as thyme, cloves, lily-of-the-valley, and brown algae, stimulating these cells to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates the functioning of the intestines and conditions such as vomiting, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome. “These cells are a potential target for treating gastrointestinal diseases and other disorders,” concludes Voland.
Further Information
For additional knowledge on digestive diseases, kindly visit the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
