Agar Agar

Move over South Beach and Zone. Did you know that the Kanten Diet is all the rage in Asia. Kanten, otherwise known as Agar Agar, is a gelatin made from ground-up seaweed. The idea is that it fills the stomach making you feel fuller than you really are, so you eat less. And there is research to show it really does work.

Wikipedia.org explains:
"One of the latest fad diets in Asia is the Kanten, Agar Agar Diet. Once ingested, kanten or agar agar triples in size and absorbs water. This results in the consumer feeling more full. The diet has shown promise in obesity studies, but it should be noted that agar agar has virtually no nutritional value. It is approximately 80% fiber."

"Agar agar is typically sold as packaged strips of washed and dried seaweed, or in powdered form. Raw agar is white and semi-translucent. In its original state it has no flavor at all. For making jelly, it is boiled in water at a concentration of about 0.7-1% w/v (e.g. a 7 gram packet of powder into 1 litre of water would be 0.7%) until the solids dissolve, after which flavouring, and pieces of fruit may be added. The agar-agar may then be poured into molds or incorporated into other items."

As part of the diet in Asia, Agar Agar is simply dissolved in teas or soup. Agar Agar can be found at various health food stores around the country. Or you can buy Agar Agar by clicking here.