EDE, Netherlands, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A new weapon in the war on obesity may be the satiating effect of food aromas, Dutch researchers suggest.
Rianne Ruijschop and colleagues at NIZO Food Research in Ede, the Netherlands, report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that certain food aromas released as people chew food can make people feel full and may prevent overeating.
The researchers say their analysis found that molecules from the aroma released during chewing activate areas of the brain that signal fullness. That contribution to the feeling of being satiated possibly helps people decide to stop eating, they say.
The report cites several possible applications, including developing foods that release more aroma during chewing or developing aromas that have a more powerful effect in triggering feelings of fullness.
