There is an enzyme in our brain that tells it when we ate enough food, or when we need more.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Imagine how efficient diet pills would be if they acted precisely in the area of the brain that dictates us whether to eat or not. Instant satiety would stop unnecessary cravings that fatten up our bodies. And the idea is not as farfetched as some may believe because researchers have recently found that OGT regulates food consumption.
A team of scientists decided to search for the memory switch in our brains. While experimenting on mice rats, they discovered that an enzyme named OGT regulates food consumption. In order to test the potential of the brain enzyme, they ran an experiment on a couple of mice.
The John Hopkins researchers eliminated the OGT enzyme from the brain of a sample of rodent subjects. In consequence, the lab rats started eating more than usual. Their minds were convinced that they didn’t eat enough food, so they munched non-stop.
Because of their insatiable appetites, the mice more than tripled their amounts of body fats three weeks into the experiment.
And because every discovery has a backstory that can be used as an anecdote, the medical breakthrough happened by accident.
The best part of the entire study is that the John Hopkins team of researchers actually started out studying memory centers in the brain when they stumbled upon the OGT.
It seems that the enzyme plays a crucial role in maintaining a connection between separate brain cells. The cells in question are the ones who signal satiety or hunger.
Even though the experiment was only done on rats, the OGT is presumed to have the same effect humans, because we also have the same type of cells in our brain.
According to one member of the team, they will continue to experiment on different animals before applying for human trials. If all tests turn out successful in all of the cases, the scientists will be able to start working on safe appetite controlling medication.
The enzyme OGT regulates food consumption by allowing the creation of a strong connection between individual brain cells. In the absence of the enzyme, the brain cannot figure out if we had ingested enough food, so it will still signal hunger.
In order to determine whether or not the enzyme works as good in stopping food cravings, the scientists injected another sample of mice with OGT. The extra quantities of the enzyme lead to a 25 percent drop in food intake.
Now that the researchers know that OGT regulates food consumption, they will be able to find new, safer ways of controlling appetite and removing those pesky food cravings.
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