Found in spinach, thylakoids could promote satiety and curb cravings when consumed in a concentrated formula, according to a new study.

Thylakoids are found in the cells that conduct photosynthesis -- the process in which plants convert light energy from the sun into energy for them to live and breathe.

"The reduction in huger and the desire for salty food that we saw in this study might make thylakoids particularly useful for people with high blood pressure and associated weight problems," says co-author Frank L. Greenway, M.D., of Pennington Biomedical Research in Louisiana.

When consumed, they release satiety hormones, which slows fat digestion, according to the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

In the experiment, 60 participants -- half of which were men, the other half women -- consumed a single dose of concentrated thylakoid extract.

The research team set out to determine the effect on satiety, lipids and glucose in addition to the eating patterns that followed the dosage.

In the double blind, randomized crossover study, each participant experienced both the placebo and a genuine dose of thylakoids never knowing which was which.

The participants, all of whom were either overweight or obese, consumed either the extract or the placebo within at least a week of each other.

The research team measured participants' lipid and glucose levels in samples of their blood taken before breakfast, then following a dose of the extract and lunch four hours later.

Another four hours passed, and the participants were given pizza, during which more blood was drawn for further testing.

Participants who had consumed the extract saw increased satiety for up to two hours whereas those who had been given the placebo did not, according to the study.

At dinner time, the researchers observed no differences in plasma lipids between the placebo group and those who had received the extract.

Among those who received the extract the men were more likely than the women to eat less.

While the men consumed less food in general, the women saw their cravings for sweets diminish.

Citing a previous study in which thylakoid consumption reduced hankerings for sweets in women, the researchers hypothesize that the extract could have a different effect on men and women.