Healthy meal
by Rebecca Gill
Meal replacement drinks are emerging as a popular meal alternative for people juggling a hectic working life – and researchers at UniSA are testing new beverages that are expected to provide more health benefits than other commercial brands currently on the market.
Volunteers are being sought to trial two new dairy-based meal replacement
drinks expected to improve mood, suppress appetite, and aid weight loss.
Professor Peter Howe and Dr Jon Buckley are the key researchers and
organisers of the study, which is being undertaken at the University’s
Nutritional Physiology Research Centre.
Dr Buckley said that the western world is in the middle of an obesity epidemic – and with this comes associated physical and psychological problems such as diabetes, stroke, cancer and depression.
“This product is another potential tool in the armoury to fight against the current obesity epidemic and the negative psychological and health effects that are associated with being obese.
“In test tube studies components in the drinks have been shown to
stimulate the release of hormones which regulate mood and hunger. We are
expecting that these drinks will improve people’s mood while at the same
time making them feel fuller so they will not want to eat as much. In the
long term, this can lead to weight loss, or prevent weight gain in people
who are presently not overweight, while helping people to feel a bit better
during the whole process,” Dr Buckley said.
Participants will need to attend UniSA’s City East campus on Frome Road for
four mornings in February and March.
During this time participants will be subjected to blood sampling as well as mood and hunger assessments. They will fast overnight, and once tests are completed, can eat as much as they want from a cold buffet.
To be eligible for the study, volunteers must be male, reasonably healthy, aged between 18-50 years and either normal weight or obese. An honorarium will be paid upon completion of the study.
For further information, or to see if you are eligible for this study,
contact Erin Riley on (08) 8302 2097 between 9am-4pm Monday to Friday, or
leave a message any time or email
nutritional.physiology@unisa.edu.au