| Hormone May Prevent Overeating | |
Scientists have discovered a hormone that may significantly decrease appetite and potentially reduce the amount of food eaten in a day by one-third. The study, which was published in the Wednesday August 7, 2002, issue of Nature, shows how scientists from Imperial College in London -- with assistance from Oregon Health and Science University and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia -- recently discovered the hormone PYY3-36's effects on appetite.
PYY3-36 is normally released in the gastrointestinal tract after eating. The amount of the hormone that is released is proportional to calorific meal content. The release tells the brain the body is no longer hungry. When a group of volunteers received artificial infusions of the hormone at normal post-eating concentrations, their food intake was reduced by a third for a day.
Professor Stephen Bloom of Imperial College London at the Hammersmith Hospital made the following statement in regard to PYY3-36's use in weight management:
"It may be possible to identify foods which cause the release of more PYY3-36, helping to naturally limit appetite, or it may be possible to create a tablet with a similar effect, providing an excellent, natural and safe long term treatment for obesity."
To perform the study, 12 volunteers were infused with either PYY3-36 or saline for ninety minutes in a double-blind, randomized crossover trial at Hammersmith Hospital in London. Two hours later, the volunteers were offered an unlimited buffet meal. In the group receiving PYY3-36, average calorific intake dropped by a third over the next 24 hours.
The researchers also studied the hunger levels of the test group both during and after transfusions of the hormone. The group receiving PYY3-36 reported up to a 40% drop in perceived levels of hunger over a period of 12 hours following infusion.
"The discovery that PYY3-36 suppresses appetite could be of huge benefit to those struggling with weight problems. With over a billion people across the world now extremely overweight, it is vital this problem is tackled.
