Watahan Trading Co., Ltd. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Tsuyoshi Iwamoto) and Biosys Lab Co., Ltd. (a "gut health promotion venture" originating from Fujita Health University, located in Toyoake City, Aichi Prefecture) have gained new insights into "sustained satiety," "alleviation of hunger," and "appetite suppression" through joint research on the edible prickly pear "SABOVEG." Based on these findings, they have now filed a patent application for the "appetite suppression use" of edible prickly pear. *Image is for illustrative purposes. [Possibility of maintaining satiety confirmed in verification tests] The research team conducted a crossover study involving 17 adult women. Participants consumed a beverage containing edible prickly pear and a control beverage, and their feelings of satiety and hunger were evaluated over a period of 3 hours after consumption. The results showed a tendency for the prickly pear consumption group to experience sustained satiety and feel less hungry compared to the control group. Furthermore, a suppressive trend was also confirmed in indicators related to appetite and desire to eat. These results suggest that edible prickly pear may contribute to "maintaining satiety" and support the control of meal portions and the suppression of snacking. [New possibilities to support a healthy diet] In recent years, as interest in obesity countermeasures and lifestyle disease prevention grows, approaches that aim to improve dietary habits by utilizing natural feelings of fullness, without relying on excessive dietary restrictions, are gaining attention. Edible prickly pear is known not only for its abundant dietary fiber and minerals but also as a crop with a low environmental impact that can be cultivated even in arid regions. It has also been introduced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as one of the crops expected to be a future food resource. This patent application is one of the research outcomes demonstrat