Eat Your Soup To Reduce The Risk Of Obesity Says Research

Consuming a savoury dish like a broth rich in umami can help people make healthier food choices according to the research conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. This works especially on women who are running a risk of being obese. Such dishes especially umami have the five basic tastes which are savoury, sweet, salty, bitter and sour triggering the brain to feel full and satiated.

How Does This Work

The research studied participants who were asked to consume umami broth and they saw that they consumed less saturated fat after, performed better in inhibitory control test and had better self-regulation while making food choices. “Previous research in humans studied the effects of umami broths on appetite, which is typically assessed with subjective measures. Here, we extended these findings replicating the beneficial effects of umami on healthy eating in women at higher risk of obesity, and we used new laboratory measures that are sensitive and objective,” said senior author Miguel Alonso-Alonso, MD, PhD, an Assistant Professor at the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine in BIDMC’s Department of Surgery, BIDMC to Science Daily.

“Many cultures around the world advocate drinking a broth before a meal. Our study suggests the possibility that people at high risk of obesity could benefit from an umami-rich broth before a meal to facilitate healthy eating and healthy food choice,” said Alonso-Alonso. “However, here we only evaluated immediate effects and in a laboratory context. Future research should address whether these observed changes can accumulate and affect food intake over time and/or whether they can be leveraged to help people lose weight more successfully.”