New research suggests that scientists might be edging closer to making a drug that could act like an “imaginary meal.”
The drug tricks the body into thinking it has eaten, which in turn causes it to start burning fat. While it’s currently too early to tell whether this could be used as a viable treatment for obesity, studies in mice have turned out promising results so far. Not only was the compound found to be well-tolerated with few unwanted side effects, but it also stopped weight gain through overeating, lowered cholesterol and controlled blood sugar levels.
The new drug, called fexaramine, works by mimicking the physiological processes that occur in the body after calories are consumed. “It sends out the same signals that normally happen when you eat a lot of food, so the body starts clearing out space to store it,” senior study author Ronald Evans said in a news release. “But there are no calories and no change in appetite.”
source: http://www.iflscience.com
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