Scientists at Syracuse University are developing a gum that will make chewers feel full, leading them to consume less kilojoules and ultimately slim down.
A team of researchers led by chemist Robert Doyle have discovered that the hormone that makes people feel “full” after eating can be delivered into the body orally.
Doyle’s study – published in an upcoming issue of the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Medicinal Chemistry – centres around the hormone Peptide YY (PYY), which regulates appetite.
The human body releases PYY into the bloodstream when people eat or exercise, leading to a feeling of being full. Typically, obese people have far lower levels of PYY in their bloodstream, leading them to consume more kilojoules because they don’t feel satisfied.
PYY is an appetite-suppressing hormone. But, when taken orally, the hormone is destroyed in the stomach and any amount that isn’t destroyed has difficulty crossing into the bloodstream through the intestines.
Doyle and his team have overcome this problem. Doyle says: “We are very excited by the results. The PYY supplement would begin to kick in about three to four hours later, decreasing their appetite as they approach their next meal.”
