Are you constantly hungry? Do you find it hard to stop eating because you can't seem to get full? This is a common problem which can lead to unwanted weight gain. One way to stave off those hunger pangs and increase satiety is to choose foods that are high in fiber. Fiber helps to slow down the rate of gastric emptying which decreases appetite along with the desire to keep eating. Now, a new study shows that a fiber powder made from the herb fenugreek can increase satiety and decrease appetite.

    Can Fenugreek Extract Powder Increase Satiety? The Study

    In this study, published in the journal Phytotherapy Research, eighteen obese people were given either four grams or eight grams of a fenugreek extract powder along with a standard breakfast. A third group received a placebo to serve as a control group. The participants were questioned regarding their level of hunger and their food intake was recorded for several hours afterwards. The results? The group receiving the eight gram dose of fenugreek extract experienced a greater decrease in appetite and increase in satiety compared to the placebo group. They also had greater hunger relief than those who got only four grams of the fenugreek extract powder.

    What is Fenugreek?

    Fenugreek is a herb that's used to flavor Indian dishes, particularly curry. It's been used medicinally for over 4,000 years as a treatment for digestive problems such as indigestion, diarrhea, and bloating; and to treat respiratory infections and sore throats. Several recent, studies have shown that Fenugreek may help to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, although the validity of some of these studies has been questioned. It's not implausible that it could have these effects since it's a source of saponins, compounds that decrease the absorption of cholesterol.

    Some online vitamin companies are already promoting fenugreek powder as a way to naturally lower blood sugar as well as for its other proposed medicinal benefits. Although fenugreek extract powder may increase satiety and reduce appetite, it's too early to recommend it as a weight loss supplement. It has the potential to interact with a variety of medications including drugs used to lower blood sugar levels. It also seems to increase levels of the milk secreting hormone prolactin which stimulates the milk glands of the breast to secrete milk

    The Bottom Line?

    What can you take away from this study? Higher fiber foods and supplements such as fenugreek powder help to increase satiety and can be an effective way to decrease appetite. Adding more fiber to the diet in any form can have a similar effect. Why not start your morning off with a bowl of hot, whole grain oatmeal and eat some fiber-rich foods throughout the day? When you eat more fiber, your intestines empty more slowly which helps to decrease appetite and food cravings. Do this consistently and you just might find those size six designer jeans don't feel so snug after all.

    你是不是總感覺饑餓？你是否看起來沒有飽而不停的吃？這種常見的現象最終導致你不想要的體重增加，驅趕饑餓痛苦癥狀的方式之一就是選擇那些高纖維食物以增加飽腹感，高纖維食物可以減緩胃的排空速度從而降低總想吃東西的欲望。目前，一項新的研究顯示中草藥胡蘆巴籽能夠增加飽腹感并有降低食欲的作用。

    胡蘆巴籽粉能增加飽腹感嗎？

    這項研究公布在植物研究雜志上，報道說18位肥胖的人每人早餐（標準相同）都服用4-8克胡蘆巴籽粉末，第三組受試者給予安慰劑作為對照觀察，受試者被問的相關問題有他們的饑餓水平，進食后往往要觀察記錄幾個小時。結果怎樣？接受8克胡蘆巴籽粉末組的人與對照組相比食欲明顯降低、飽腹感增加，比那些僅接受4克胡蘆巴籽粉末組 的人相比饑餓感明顯減輕。

    胡蘆巴籽到底是一種什么物質？

    胡蘆巴籽是一種草本植物，在印度主要用于菜肴的調味劑，尤其用于咖哩飯菜中，它也有4000多年的藥用史，主要用于治療消化系統問題，如消化不良、腹瀉、脹氣；也用于呼吸系統感染和咽痛。近來幾項研究表明胡蘆巴籽還可以有助于降低血糖和血脂的水平，盡管一些關于這項研究的真實可靠性常被問及，它的作用是毫無質疑的，作用源于它的皂甙成分，這種成分會降低膽固醇的吸收。

    一些在線維生素生產公司推銷胡蘆巴粉作為自然降血糖物質同時計劃開發它的其他藥用價值，雖然胡蘆巴粉可以增加飽腹感、降低食欲，把它用于減肥添加劑還為時尚早，它與各種藥物會發生相互反應包括那些降血糖的藥物，它看起來還會增加催乳素的分泌，促進乳腺分泌乳汁。

    臀圍是多少？

    你從這項研究中收獲些什么？高纖維食物和胡蘆巴粉添加劑有助于增加飽腹感，是降低食欲的有效方式。以任何形式在飲食中添加高纖維物質都會取得同樣的效果，為什么不在早餐時吃一碗熱乎乎的全燕麥粥？并且在一天的飲食中吃些高纖維的食物呢？當你吃的食物中含纖維素越高，腸道排空的時間就越慢，如此會有助于降低你的食欲及對食物的渴望。這樣經常堅持下去你就會發現尺寸6號的牛仔褲也顯得寬松