A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that eating chitin from crustaceans, insects, and mushrooms may help enhance digestion, lower body fat, and aid weight loss.
in the present study, the research team used a mouse model fed a high-fat diet. The researchers found that mice who consumed chitin, so it activated their immune system, but their body did not digest it, saw the greatest impact on obesity.
Lead author Dr. Steven Van Dyken, an assistant professor of pathology and immunology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says: “We have known for a long time that increasing dietary fiber intake tends to be beneficial for metabolic health, but now we have a better appreciation for how different fibers affect the body. We are further studying this pathway in humans and exploring whether it can be therapeutically targeted to treat metabolic diseases.”