A new ingredient that can curb people's hunger by making them feel full and in turn, prevent weight gain, has been found, according to the American Live Wire.

A team of researchers at Imperial College London and University of Glasgow reportedly found that the ingredient contains propionate, which stimulates the gut to release hormones, which act on the brain to reduce hunger in the tests carried out on participants.

The ingredient, which is called inulin-propionate ester (IPE), reportedly provides much larger quantities of propionate than people can acquire with a normal diet.

"Supplementing one's diet with the ingredient prevents weight gain in overweight people. You need to eat it regularly to have an effect," stated professor Gary Frost from the department of medicine at Imperial College London.

The ingredient, which has been described as a "foul-tasting soluble powder," is reportedly being incorporated into bread and fruit smoothies, according to BBC News.

For the study, 20 volunteers were reportedly either given inulin, a natural carbohydrate found in plants that researchers bound the propionate to, on its own or IPE, and then allowed them to eat as much as they liked from a buffet. Those who had been given IPE ate about 14% less food.

In the next part of the study, 49 overweight volunteers were reportedly either given IPE or inulin in powder form and asked to add about a spoonful to their food every day. After 24 weeks, six of the 24 volunteers that were given inulin reportedly gained more than 3% of their body weight while only one of the 25 given IPE had done so.

Dr. Douglas Morrison, from the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, reportedly stated that the experiments had shown that propionate may play an important role in weight management.

"If they have brought this about without affecting taste of the bowels, then I would welcome it," stated Professor David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum.