Scientists have discovered a way to make people feel full[GETTY]British experts have pinpointed how fibre in foods like cereal and bread helps suppress appetite.
And the “top-notch” researchers now believe the breakthrough could lead to a simple daily treatment to stop people bingeing and make them lose weight. They say an anti-appetite molecule called acetate may hold the key to finally winning the battle of the bulge for millions.
Professor David Lomas, chairman of the Medical Research Council’s Population and Systems Medicine Board, said: “It’s becoming increasingly clear that the interaction between the gut and the brain plays a key role in controlling how much food we eat.
“Being able to influence this relationship, for example using acetate to suppress appetite, may in future lead to new, non-surgical treatments for obesity.”
In the study, led by Imperial College London and the MRC, an international team identified the anti-appetite molecule that is naturally produced when we digest fibre in the gut.
Once released, the acetate goes to the brain where it produces a signal to tell us to stop eating.
The research also showed that when acetate was injected directly into the blood, colons or brains of mice it reduced the amount of food they ate.
Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study confirms the natural benefits of increasing the amount of fibre in our diets to control over-eating and could also help develop methods to reduce appetite.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the interaction between the gut and the brain plays a key role in controlling how much food we eat
Dietary fibre is found in most plants and vegetables but tends to be at low levels in processed food. When fibre is digested by bacteria in the colon, it ferments and releases large amounts of acetate.
Lead author Professor Gary Frost said that in Stone Age times we ate about 100 grams per day of fibre. Today we favour low-fibre ready-made meals and average daily consumption is just 15 grams.
He said: “Unfortunately our digestive system has not yet evolved to deal with this modern diet.
“This mismatch contributes to the current obesity epidemic.”
The need for a new weapon in the war on obesity was underlined earlier this week after research from insurance group Aviva showed that half of UK adults are either overweight or obese – with a significant proportion believing they are in very good or excellent health.
The study tracked acetate on its route from the colon to the brain. It clearly showed that the molecules build up in the hypothalamus after fibre has been digested.
This triggers a series of chemical events in this part of the brain which ultimately suppresses appetite.
This is the first study to show that acetate released from dietary fibre can affect appetite.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “These researchers are top notch and are targeting obesity in a practical way by finding how the brain can tell people to stop eating so much.
“It will take years to come on to the market but if we can develop something such as a pill it will be worth its weight in gold.”
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