MANILA, Philippines – Scientists have come up with a breakthrough to battle the increasing rate of obesity from around the globe.
An “imaginary meal" diet pill that makes the body believe that you have already eaten, causing it to burn fat, has been discovered by researchers from the California-based Salk Institute. The study has been recognized and published on the team’s research in the journal Nature Medicine.
For the experiment, the researchers used mice. After few trials it was found out that the pill called “fexaramine” effectively stopped weight gain, lowered cholesterol, controlled blood sugar and minimized inflammation.
In a report by Mirror UK, Senior author Professor Ronald Evans said that the pill sends out signals like those sent when the body has already consumed calories. "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. But there are no calories and no change in appetite,” he said.
In addition to the recent findings, it was also found out that a daily dose of the pill results to a higher rate of metabolism.
Unlike other commercial pills, fexaramine doesn’t go to the bloodstream. Instead, it remains in the intestines resulting to a few side effects, making it more safe for humans.
Meanwhile, the researchers are now working to do human clinical trials to measure the effectiveness of the pill when coupled with diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.