MANY weight loss interventions, such as gastric bypass surgery and fat jabs, can be seen as invasive or being on negative side effects.
For people looking for a natural alternative to shedding the pounds, scientists have developed edible microbeads.
Edible microbeads were shown to reduce body weight by 17 per cent, in a new study[/caption]
The microbeads, made from green tea polyphenols, vitamin E and seaweed, when consumed, bind to fats in the gastrointestinal tract.
And preliminary results from tests carried out in a new study found this approach to weight loss may be safer and more accessible than surgery or pharmaceuticals.
“Losing weight can help some people prevent long-term health issues like diabetes and heart disease,” said Yue Wu, a graduate student at Sichuan University.
“Our microbeads work directly in the gut to block fat absorption in a noninvasive and gentle way.”
Weight gain is caused by genetic and lifestyle factors, including eating a high-fat diet.
So, Wu and her colleagues wanted to target the fat absorption process with their weight-loss intervention, but avoid negative side effects.
She said: “We want to develop something that works with how people normally eat and live.”
The team created the tiny plant-based beads that spontaneously form through a series of chemical bonds between the green tea polyphenols and vitamin E.
The beads were then coated in a natural polymer derived from seaweed to protect them from acid in the stomach.
Once ingested, this protective polymer coating expands, the the green tea polyphenols and vitamin E compounds bind to and trap partially digested fats in the intestine.
With the microbeads being nearly flavourless, the researchers foresee them being easily integrated into people’s diets.
The researchers assessed the microbeads as a weight-loss treatment in rats.
They were placed into three groups – those which were fed a high-fat diet either with or without microbeads and those which were fed a normal diet for 30 days.
The rats fed the high-fat diet and microbeads were found to have lost 17 per cent of their total body weight, while rats in the other groups didn’t lose weight.
Wu and her team have now started working with a biotechnology company to manufacture the plant-based beads.
“All the ingredients are food grade and FDA-approved, and their production can be easily scaled up,” said Yunxiang He, Sichuan University associate professor and co-author on Wu’s presentation.
They’ve also initiated a human clinical trial in collaboration with the West China Hospital of Sichuan University.
“This represents a major step toward clinical translation of our polyphenol-based microbeads, following our foundational results,” said Wu.
“We have officially enrolled 26 participants in our investigator-initiated trial, and we anticipate that preliminary data may become available within the next year.”
Latest on Mounjaro price hike
Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, has announced that prices will rise from September 1 this year.
The price the pharma giant charges pharmacies for a mid-range 5mg dose will nearly double from £92 to £180.
The maximum available dose – 15mg – will rise from £122 to £330.
This is to bring UK prices in line with those in European countries.
The price increase will affect everyone paying privately, from pharmacies to private clinics, with some of the cost falling on customers.
All online providers will also be affected by these changes.
The announcement doesn’t affect the price the NHS pays, as the service has negotiated a heavily discounted rate for those getting the drug on prescription.
With patients stocking up on the jab before the price hike, find out which sites still have it and are accepting new customers here.