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When people digest fibre, an appetite-suppressing compound is released, new research shows
A pill that destroys appetite and could help in the battle against obesity has moved a step closer after the discovery of a molecule that zaps the ‘munchies’.
The chemical, acetate, is found in dietary fibre and could combat the dangerously bulging waistlines of many Britons.
Large amounts of acetate are released when plants and vegetables are digested by bacteria in the colon. This then sends a signal to the brain telling us to stop eating.
The study suggests obesity has become an epidemic because we have replaced the healthy diet of previous ages with processed food that contains little acetate.
Although the research published in Nature Communications confirms the natural benefit of fibre, scientists hope the finding can be harnessed into treatments for people who pile on the pounds.
Professor Gary Frost, of Imperial College London, said: ‘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.
‘Acetate is only active for a short amount of time in the body, so if we focused on a purely acetate-based product we would need to find a way to drip feed it and mimic its slow release in the gut.
‘Another option is to focus on the fibre and manipulate it so that it produces more acetate than normal and less fibre is needed to have the same effect, providing a more palatable and comfortable option than massively increasing the amount of fibre in our diet. 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 fatty diet with no inulin.
This compound travels to people's brains where it sends signals to encourage them to stop eating
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