Olive oil leads to satiety, shows a study that points out the mechanism behind it.
Now a study has shown how "natural" oils and fats regulate the sensation of feeling full after eating, with olive oil leading the way. So what makes this oil so effective? Work groups at Germany's Technische Universitat Munchen (TUM) under professor Peter Schieberle and at the University of Vienna under professor Veronika Somoza studied four different edible fats and oils -- lard, butterfat, rapeseed oil and olive oil. Over a period of three months, the study participants ate 500 gm of low-fat yoghurt enriched with one of the four fats or oils every day -- as a supplement to their normal diet, reports Science Daily. "Olive oil had the biggest satiety effect," said Schieberle. "The olive oil group showed a higher concentration of the satiety hormone serotonin in their blood. Subjectively speaking, these participants also reported that they found the olive oil yoghurt very filling," he added. During the study period, no member of this group recorded an increase in their body fat percentage or their weight. "Our findings show that aroma is capable of regulating satiety," Schieberle said. "We hope that this work will pave the way for the development of more effective reduced-fat food products that are nonetheless satiating," he said.