Scientists at Western University have discovered that a natural compound found in sweet oranges and tangerines, called nobiletin, could help reduce obesity and lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The Study: What Did Researchers Find?
In this study, scientists fed mice a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, but some of them also received nobiletin. The results were surprising. The mice that consumed nobiletin stayed leaner, had lower blood fat levels, and showed less insulin resistance compared to those that didn’t receive it.
Even more impressively, nobiletin seemed to reverse the effects of obesity in mice that were already overweight. It also reduced the buildup of harmful plaque in their arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart disease.
How Does Nobiletin Work?
Scientists believe that nobiletin might affect the AMP Kinase pathway, which helps control how the body burns and stores fat. This pathway encourages fat burning for energy while preventing the body from making too much fat.
However, the study found that nobiletin does not work directly through this pathway. Instead, it seems to bypass it while still producing the same fat-burning effects. This means that nobiletin is unlikely to interfere with medications that target the AMP Kinase system, which is a good sign for future treatments.
What’s Next?
The next step for researchers is to test nobiletin in humans to see if it has the same benefits as it did in mice. If human trials confirm its effectiveness, nobiletin could become a natural and safe option for preventing and managing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
Obesity and diabetes are major health problems worldwide, affecting millions of people. While there is no single way to completely prevent them, certain lifestyle choices can lower the risk.
Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and managing stress all play a big role in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing diabetes. Regular doctor visits can also help detect and manage early warning signs.
Although lifestyle changes are important, new treatments like nobiletin could provide additional support in the fight against these conditions. If proven effective in humans, it may offer a natural way to improve metabolism and protect against obesity-related diseases.
This study, led by researcher Murray Huff, was published in the Journal of Lipid Research. Scientists will now continue their work to better understand how nobiletin works and how it could be used to help people live healthier lives.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about a cure for type 2 diabetes, and these vegetables could protect against kidney damage in diabetes.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about bone drug that could lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing eating more eggs linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
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