Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preventing or ameliorating obesity, for inhibiting accumulation of visceral fat, for inhibiting accumulation of liver lipid, for preventing or ameliorating fatty liver, including using a material for a pharmaceutical product or food, which has inhibitory actions on body weight increase, accumulation of visceral fat and accumulation of liver lipid. The present invention is also directed to a method for preventing or ameliorating obesity, a method for inhibiting accumulation of visceral fat, a method for inhibiting accumulation of liver lipid, and a method for preventing or ameliorating fatty liver, which methods include administering potassium alginate to a subject in need thereof or having the subject take potassium alginate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor comprising potassium alginate as an active ingredient. The postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor of the present invention is useful as a medicine or a food product. The present invention also provides use of potassium alginate for the manufacture of a postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor. The present invention also provides a method for inhibiting postprandial GIP secretion, which comprises administering potassium alginate to a subject in need thereof or causing a subject in need thereof to consume potassium alginate.

Abstract: There is provided a purified alginic acid or a salt thereof having a low degree of coloration and a process for producing the same. A depolymerized alginic acid or a salt thereof having a weight-average molecular weight of 300,000 or lower, wherein a degree of coloration, which is defined as the difference in absorbance between 420 nm and 720 nm when a 5% by weight aqueous solution of the alginic acid or a salt thereof is subjected to absorption spectrophotometry using a 1-cm cell, is 0.040 or lower.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preventing or ameliorating obesity, for inhibiting accumulation of visceral fat, for inhibiting accumulation of liver lipid, for preventing or ameliorating fatty liver, including using a material for a pharmaceutical product or food, which has inhibitory actions on body weight increase, accumulation of visceral fat and accumulation of liver lipid. The present invention is also directed to a method for preventing or ameliorating obesity, a method for inhibiting accumulation of visceral fat, a method for inhibiting accumulation of liver lipid, and a method for preventing or ameliorating fatty liver, which methods include administering potassium alginate to a subject in need thereof or having the subject take potassium alginate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor comprising potassium alginate as an active ingredient. The postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor of the present invention is useful as a medicine or a food product. The present invention also provides use of potassium alginate for the manufacture of a postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor. The present invention also provides a method for inhibiting postprandial GIP secretion, which comprises administering potassium alginate to a subject in need thereof or causing a subject in need thereof to consume potassium alginate.