The Effect of Alginate on Carbohydrate and Fat Digestion in a Mixed Meal

This study will investigate the effect of an extract of brown seaweed, called alginate, on fat digestion. The extract has been cooked into sausages and the alginate sausages will be compared to the same sausages that do not contain alginate. People taking part in the study will come to the study centre twice. Once to have the alginate sausage meal or the normal sausage meal and on the second visit they will have the other meal so then end up having had both types of sausages. The level of fat in their blood will be monitored over the four hours after the meal. The rate and amount of fat that moves into the blood after a meal is an indication of the amount of fat digestion. We believe that less fat will be digested and move into the blood when the volunteers eat the alginate sausages compared to the normal sausages.