Algae and Plants commercialized as slimming in the Conurbation Buenos Aires-La Plata

ARENAS P.M; DOUMECQ,MARIA BELEN; PUENTES J.P.; HURRELL, J.A.

Congreso; VI Congreso Internacional de Etnobotánica (ICEB 2014); 2014

This paper includes the results of an ethnobotanical study of plants and algae marketed as slimming and dietetic food commercializes in the conurbation of Buenos Aires-La Plata, the largest of Argentina in extent and population. The herbalist are stores where products derived from medicinal plants are sold, and, at present, have been mostly replaced by the dietetics, where products sell associated with healthy, both food and therapeutic: cereals, pseudocereals, legumes, nuts, dehydrated vegetables, spices, foods for special dietary uses, functional foods, herbs, dietary supplements. This study is part of a line of research developed at LEBA, Urban Ethnobotany. Evaluation of slimming products is relevant since obesity is of growing concern to a broad section of the population of large urban agglomerations. These products generally are touted for its natural ingredients that control appetite, provide satiety, reduce fat absorption and increase the basal metabolism. Usual ethnobotany methodology was used: techniques of qualitative and quantitative observation was used: participant observation, free listings, open and semi-structured interviews conducted with 50 informants, qualified and laymen. One hundred and twenty stores were surveyed and additional information on labels, catalogs and brochures in both print and electronic media was revised, which help the general public to guide the choice of products to consume. In the field samples that were deposited in the LEBA were obtained. Moreover, micrographic analysis of many of the products obtained was done in order to confirm the taxonomic identification of the species. Fifty - three species with at least one reference is evaluated as a weight loss; 41 correspond to vascular plants, distributed in 25 families, the most numerous are Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae; 12 species correspond to macro and microalgae, marine and freshwater, in 10 families. Therapeutic value as thinner species considered are discussed. This work was support by UNLP and CONICET, Argentina.