Fat-blocking microbeads made with green tea, vitamin E, and seaweed could offer a new way to lose weight and a potential alternative to popular GLP-1 drugs and bariatric surgery, according to exploratory new research.

While human trials are still needed, scientists in China found that rats fed a high-fat diet lost about 17% of their body weight when given the edible microbeads.

The rats also saw reduced fat tissue, alleviated liver damage, and lowered blood fat levels compared to animals that did not receive the beads.

“Our work provides a basis for novel dietary strategies to combat obesity,” the Sichuan University researchers wrote in the study, published in the journal Cell Biomaterials.

Obesity affects nearly 890 million adults globally. It’s the fourth leading cause of death, the

See Full Page