Scientists are claiming to have discovered a chemical which could stop humans wanting to eat for pleasure. This, according to the Daily Mail, means that at some point a pill could be developed which could curb those totally illogical but oh-so-delicious cravings for post-pub kebabs, movie-night maltesers and bad-day binges.
Admittedly, scientists have so far only been working with mice, but they say that the chemical hemopressin has been shown to work in a very similar way to the now-banned appetite suppressant rimonabant, or Acomplia, as it was better known.
Hemopressin is produced in rat’s brains and affect blood pressure and pain sensation, as well as the part of the brain associated with appetite, the cannabinoid receptors in the hypothalamus.
The team who conducted the research are from the University of Manchester and the University of Maine. They used mice who were both a normal weight and genetically engineered to be obese. They were all housed and fed similiarly and then part of the group was injected with hemopressin. Their food intake was then assessed at various points.
The team discovered that both the obese and normal rats responded to the hemopressin with a loss of appetite overnight. Their appetites decreased more when they were given stronger doses. After 12 hours, their appetites returned to normal.
While the research certainly does suggest that hemopressin could have potential as a diet medication, taking drugs from animal trials to approval from regulators can take up to a decade. So dieters waiting for the next big thing will be better off following news on Qnexa, Contrave and Lorcaserin, drugs which have a more realistic chance of being approved soon!