Compositions and methods of gelation

A cosmetic treatment method for inducing satiety in mammals, comprising the step of ingesting a composition comprising: (a) an alginate or alginate salt capable of gelling ionotropically, (b) at least one source of multivalent cations selected from salts calcium, iron, strontium, barium, chromium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, copper, aluminum and zinc, which is capable of solubilizing at an acidic pH, and (c) a lactone of a carboxylic acid capable of providing a release controlled protons sufficient to solubilize said multivalent cations.