A Laser-Powered Weight Loss Implant Block Appetite at the Source
When it comes to losing weight, nothing works better than diet and exercise. But in the future, getting rid of excess poundage may be as simple as flipping a switch and adding a little novel chemistry.
A team of Korean researchers devised a technique that gets at the root of appetite: ghrelin, the hormone that causes you to feel hungry. In a new study published Wednesday in the American Chemical Society’s journal Applied Materials & Interfaces, the researchers created a stomach implant that releases a chemical compound—activated by light from a laser—that kills cells at the top of the stomach that produce ghrelin. The treatment may pave the way for a minimally invasive alternative to current surgical weight loss options like gastric bypass or gastric banding.
First discovered in 1999, ghrelin is primarily produced at the top of the stomach by a structure called the gastric fundus. When your stomach is empty and you haven’t eaten in a while, ghrelin is produced and released into the bloodstream where it travels to the brain and gets your appetite going. Once you’re full, the hormone dips down. Ghrelin levels tend to be low in people with obesity, encouraging overeating. (Ghrelin levels tend to skyrocket when people go on a diet, which could explain why dieting can be so hard.)
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