June 28, 2013 Will this tree sap make losing weight easier?

June 28, 2013

Will this tree sap make losing weight easier?

Could losing weight be as simple as ingesting a special fiber made from tree sap? According to a recent report, the answer is yes. The researchers who wrote this report divided 120 healthy females into two groups. They gave one of the groups pectin. They gave the second group 30 grams of gum Arabic daily for six weeks. Those in the gum Arabic group saw their body mass index decrease by 0.32 and their body fat percentage drop by 2.18% compared to the “control” group. They did experience some mild side effects from the gum Arabic. But these side effects (bloating and nausea) went away after one week. The researchers said gum Arabic definitely needs to be used to treat obesity. A few years ago I reported that gum Arabic, as a prebiotic, can help modify intestinal bacteria in your favor! We now know that intestinal bugs are partly responsible for weight control. Certain bugs can generate more calorie absorption from otherwise indigestible foods. Why I call this "natural body armor" against inflammatory fires... Not only does it contain 9 of the best nutrients for taming inflammation, it includes them at levels up to three times higher than other supplements. Plus, it's the only one to include a remarkable discovery that quenches the fire in every part of your body - so you get fast relief. Learn More Now Perhaps gum Arabic’s effect is this modification, or simply some other beneficial modification of what goes on in your gut. Another effect could be modulating the absorption of calories to blunt a huge insulin response that turns your calories into abdominal fat. Gum Arabic is a natural gum made from the hardened sap of two species of acacia tree. It is cheap and readily available in health food stores and online. As I mentioned, it might cause some minor stomach discomfort when you first start taking it. But this should go away after a week. Yours for better health and medical freedom,

Robert J. Rowen, MD REF: Nutr J. 2012;1:111.