In an interesting turn of events, scientists have made a connection between the moderate weight loss effects of a common diabetes medication, metformin, and an “anti-hunger” molecule that is also produced after vigorous exercise.
This molecule, known as lac-phe, was identified by researchers at Stanford Medicine in 2022.
The recent study, a collaboration between teams at Stanford Medicine and Harvard Medical School, highlights the significant role lac-phe plays in regulating metabolism, exercise, and appetite, hinting at the potential for new weight loss treatments.
Metformin is widely prescribed to manage blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Patients often report a slight reduction in weight after starting the medication, typically losing about 2% to 3% of their body weight in the first year.
This weight loss is relatively modest, especially when compared to newer drugs that can lead to much more significant weight reductions. However, the discovery of lac-phe’s involvement could lead to a better understanding of how to harness these effects for greater benefits.
The connection between lac-phe and weight loss was made while researchers were investigating why people feel less hungry after intense physical activity.
They discovered lac-phe, a combination of lactate (a fatigue-related byproduct produced by muscles during exercise) and the amino acid phenylalanine. This molecule was found to suppress appetite effectively, not just in humans but in mice and racehorses too.
Further exploration into how metformin affects the body led researchers to find that it increases lac-phe levels, similar to the effects of exercise.
Obese mice given metformin showed a notable increase in lac-phe in their bloodstream, leading to decreased food intake and weight loss over a nine-day study period.
This effect was also observed in humans. The study examined blood samples from people with type 2 diabetes before and after starting metformin treatment. There was a clear increase in lac-phe levels after beginning the medication.
Additionally, people in a broader study who were taking metformin had higher levels of lac-phe compared to those who weren’t on the drug.
Interestingly, the study revealed that the source of lac-phe production in response to metformin is the intestinal epithelial cells.
When the production of lac-phe in these cells was blocked in mice, the appetite suppression and weight loss effects were also halted, emphasizing the importance of this pathway.
The findings suggest a new avenue for the development of weight loss medications that could mimic the effects of exercise and metformin through the lac-phe pathway. Such treatments could offer a non-invasive option for managing weight, alongside other health benefits.
This discovery not only broadens our understanding of how metformin contributes to weight loss but also opens up exciting possibilities for future research into appetite control and obesity treatment.
With the potential for new drugs on the horizon, the way we approach weight management could see significant changes in the years to come.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies about a simple path to weight loss, and results showing a non-invasive treatment for obesity and diabetes.
The research findings can be found in Nature Metabolism.
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