A pill against hunger becomes real – researchers from Imperial College London have discovered a method of producing molecules that suppress appetite.
A pill that can turn off hunger may soon appear. It can be used for the treatment of obesity as an alternative to such radical surgical methods as gastroshunting. British scientists have discovered a molecule in the human body, which suppresses appetite.
Experiments showed that when a person eats a lot of fruit and vegetables, their fibers produce acetate into the gastrointestinal tract. A pill obtained on the basis of this acetate could help people to restrict their nutrition without experiencing hunger pangs, which are the basic torment for dieters and demolish many attempts to lose weight.
The study authors suggested that humanity is rapidly gaining weight because of their love for processed food, which does not react with the bacteria of the intestine producing acetate or acetic acid salt. Without them, the brain does not receive the signal of saturation, continuing to give body signals about the necessity of eating.
Today, an average European’s diet consists of 15 grams of fiber per day, and in the Stone Age it used to be about 100 grams of fiber. Meanwhile, human digestive system has not evolved sufficiently to properly respond to the new diet, which causes the obesity epidemic.
Although the discovery by British scientists could encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, the researchers themselves believe that they are on the way of creating new drugs for obesity treatment.
