Pill to switch off hunger possible as 'anti-appetite' molecule discovered
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10796569/Pill-to-switch-off-hunger-possible-as-anti-appetite-molecule-discovered.html
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Large amounts of acetate are released when plants and vegetables are digested by bacteria in the colon. The scientists tracked the molecule and found that it eventually ended up in the hypothalamus region of the brain, which controls hunger.
The new study suggests obesity has become an epidemic because we have replaced the healthy diet of the past with processed food, which does not react with gut bacteria to produce acetate. So the brain does not receive a signal telling it to stop eating.
The average diet in
"Unfortunately our digestive system has not yet evolved to deal with this modern diet and this mismatch contributes to the current obesity epidemic,” said Professor Gary Frost, of
Although scientists say their research should encourage more people to eat more fruit and vegetables, they also believe it could pave the way for new drugs to help dieters.
Prof Frost added: "Our research has shown the release of acetate is central to how fibre suppresses our appetite and this could help scientists tackle overeating.
"The major challenge is to develop an approach that will deliver the amount of acetate needed to suppress appetite but in a form that is acceptable and safe for humans.
"Developing these approaches will be difficult but it is a good challenge to have and we are looking forward to researching possible ways of using acetate to address health issues around weight gain.”
The study analysed the effects of a form of dietary fibre called inulin which comes from chicory and sugar beets and is also added to cereal bars.
Experiments on mice found those fed on a high fat diet with added inulin ate less and gained less weight than animals given a lot of fat diet with no inulin.
They also noticed that the acetate acculmulates in the hypothalamus of the brain where it triggers a series of chemical events which fire neurons and suppress hunger.
The research also showed when acetate was injected into the bloodstream, the colon or the brain it reduced the amount of food eaten by the mice.
Prof Jimmy Bell, of the Medical Research Council,
"In the context of the growing rates of obesity in western countries, the findings of the research could inform potential methods to prevent weight gain."
Acetate is only active for a short amount of time in the body so an ‘acetate pill’ would need to be able to mimic the chemical’s slow release into the gut.
Prof David Lomas, chair of the MRC's population and systems medicine board, said it is becoming increasingly clear the interaction between the gut and the brain plays a key role in controlling how much food we eat.
He added: "Being able to influence this relationship, for example using acetate to suppress appetite, may in future lead to new, non surgical treatments for obesity."
