Mar 11, 2014 05:21 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Swedish researchers have now found how spinach extracts can help with weight loss.

A recent Lund University study found that thylakoid, a compound present in spinach and leafy green vegetables, slows down fat digestion and makes people feel fuller for a longer period of time. Researchers said that the compound is also responsible for triggering the release of satiety hormones. These hormones emit signals of 'feeling full' to the brain.

However, eating spinach as a whole will not provide the benefits. Researchers said that since human body does not have the ability to extract the compound from fresh spinach, the vegetable has to be crushed, filtrated and centrifuged to liberate the thylakoids for consumption.

Researchers said that thylakoids are comprised of numerous substances like galactolipids, proteins, vitamin A, E, K, antioxidants, beta-carotene and lutein among others. The compound slows down fat digestion, involving the whole intestine in the process.

"I like to say our intestines are unemployed," researcher Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson, a professor at Lund University, said in a statement.

When the food enters the distal intestine, satiety hormones are released. This sends fullness signals to the brain.

Processed foods tend to utilize only the upper intestine, preventing the release of the key satiety hormones.

For the study, Erlanson-Albertsson and her team observed the effects of consuming spinach extract in the morning. They found that participants who drank the spinach extract felt less hungry and had fewer sugar cravings during the day.

As a result, these participants found it easier to just stick to three meals a day compared to a control group who were given a drink without thylakoids.

According to Medical News Today, apart from assisting in weight loss, leafy greens like spinach improve blood glucose control in diabetics, enhances bone health and lowers cancer and asthama risk. It also helps control blood pressure, aids growth of skin and hair and provides required amounts of protein, iron, vitamins and minerals to the body.

One cup of raw spinach is estimated to contain 27 calories, 0.86 grams of protein, 30 milligrams of calcium, 0.81 grams of iron, 24 milligrams of magnesium, 167 milligrams of potassium, 2813 IUs of Vitamin A and 58 micrograms of folate.

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