Have Doctors Created the New Weight Loss Miracle Drug?

Researchers in the UK and Australia are testing a new food-additive that’s designed to make you feel naturally full after ingesting. Early clinical studies have shown that the additive seems to be effective at preventing additional weight gain in research volunteers.

The food additive is called ‘inulin-propionate ester’ (IPE) and it was created at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Inulin is a naturally occurring fibre that is combined with propionate, a normal by-product of fibre fermentation by intestinal bacteria. Artificially, the researchers are able to produce significantly more propionate than can be acquired through a normal diet. As you might have guessed, it is this by-product which tells the gut to release the hormones which tell the brain that we are getting full.

The successful development of this new food additive was largely in thanks to the work of Dr. Alexander Viardot, an endocrinologist from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. He teamed up with Professor Gary Frost and Dr. Edward Chambers to conduct this groundbreaking weight loss clinical study at the Imperial College of London.

(Are you interested in learning more about obesity/weight loss studies? Please click here for more information.)

The First Test of IPE

The team first found 20 volunteers (all of whom were overweight at the time) that were interested in taking part in the clinical trial. The research team split them up into two groups: one was given the IPE and the other was given inulin on its own. The volunteers were then taken to a buffet where they were permitted to eat as much as they would like. Data shows that IPE group consumed 14 percent less food on average and possessed a higher concentration of “full” hormones in their blood.

The second clinical study tested the effects of IPE over a 24-week period on 60 volunteers. As in the first test, each participant was overweight and they were split up into IPE and inulin groups. This time however, the research team gave the participants the IPE as a powder they could add to their food.

Data showed that weight management was more effective in those using the new food additive. At the end of the study, the IPE volunteers had more reduced concentrations of fat around their abdomens compared to the inulin volunteers.

Developing New Strategies to Combat Weight Gain

In a recent press release, the lead investigator on the study said: “We know that adults gain between 0.3 and 0.8 kilos a year on average, and there’s a real need for new strategies that can prevent this.

“Molecules like propionate stimulate the release of gut hormones that control appetite, but you need to eat huge amounts of fibre to achieve a strong effect. We wanted to find a more efficient way to deliver propionate to the gut.

“This small, proof-of-principle study shows encouraging signs that supplementing one’s diet with the ingredient we’ve developed prevents weight gain in overweight people. You need to eat it regularly to have an effect. We’re exploring what kinds of foods it could be added to, but something like bread or fruit smoothies might work well.”

Dr. Douglas Morrison, a professor at the University of Glasgow, commented: “There is significant interest in how food components like dietary fibre interact with gut microbes to influence health, but much of the evidence we rely upon comes from laboratory and animal studies. It is often difficult to translate these findings directly into successful human interventions.

“Packaging propionate up to more efficiently deliver it to the large intestine has allowed us to make direct observations in humans that propionate may play an important role in weight management. These exciting findings could at last open up new ways to manipulate gut microbes to improve health and prevent disease.”

The Potential of Engineered Supplements

As for Dr. Viardot, this endocrinologist could not be more positive about the potential for engineered supplements like his new food additive. There are many articles and resources on healthy diets available online, but the truth is that most people have a difficult time sticking to them. With the holidays coming up, there are going to be plenty of tempting indulgences that might be too difficult to resist.

“This study has proved that short chain fatty acids like propionate are the biologically active ingredients in the gut,” explained Dr. Viardot. “We now have the means to deliver them directly.”

When given the option, people are more likely to adhere to a supplement schedule than a more significant shift in their dietary habits. The molecule that Dr Morrison has developed could also provide health benefits for people living with conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol where food management plays such a large role.