Aerated Drinks Increase Stomach Volume, Reduce Appetite

A small clinical trial conducted by British and Dutch researchers finds that aerated or foamy drinks decrease appetite enough to be useful as adietary tool. Participants included 20 healthy adult males aged 18 to 60. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure volumes of foam, liquid and air layers in the stomachs of the participants. The researchers tested three beverages, each with 110 calories: skimmed-milk powder, xanthan gum and water and lemon syrup. The products were either non-aerated, aerated (foamy) stable, and aerated less stable. The researchers found that the foamy drinks significantly increased gastric volumes and reduced hunger.