This Chinese medicine can help curb obesity, study states
| Updated: Sep 3, 2018, 11:14 IST
A new study states that a plant-derived substance widely used in traditional Chinese medicine can ‘switch on’ the feeling of fullness and help in weight loss, thus curbing obesity altogether. Published in the journal, Diabetes, the study states that the substance called Celastrol could offer a new option for the treatment of obesity.
According to the research conducted, patients could aim to lose between five and ten per cent of their body weight per year depending on their body mass index if they follow the given guidelines for the prevention of obesity but, very few people achieve their goal weight because of lifestyle choices made. “Yet, breaking through this ‘magical barrier’ is so important, as it leads to an improvement in metabolism and accompanying metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes,” said Paul Pfluger, from the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen (Helmholtz Center Munich) in Germany. Celastrol activates specific satiety centres in the brain which play a key role in controlling body weight. “Celastrol reactivates the body’s own mechanisms for controlling weight that would otherwise be switched off in obese individuals,” said Katrin Pfuhlmann, PhD student at Helmholtz Zentrum.
“Normally those affected lose that feeling of fullness because the respective hormone — leptin — no longer has any effect. Celastrol, the compound we examined, restores leptin sensitivity and thus the sense of satiety,” said Pfuhlmann. “The administration of Celastrol resulted in a much lower intake of food. Correspondingly, we observed an average loss of about ten per cent in body weight within one week,” said Pfluger. However, the extent to which the findings of this study validate in humans remains unclear, but Pfluger expresses confidence. “Since the satiety hormone leptin has an almost identical effect in humans and mice, Celastrol has great potential,” he said.
According to the research conducted, patients could aim to lose between five and ten per cent of their body weight per year depending on their body mass index if they follow the given guidelines for the prevention of obesity but, very few people achieve their goal weight because of lifestyle choices made. “Yet, breaking through this ‘magical barrier’ is so important, as it leads to an improvement in metabolism and accompanying metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes,” said Paul Pfluger, from the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen (Helmholtz Center Munich) in Germany. Celastrol activates specific satiety centres in the brain which play a key role in controlling body weight. “Celastrol reactivates the body’s own mechanisms for controlling weight that would otherwise be switched off in obese individuals,” said Katrin Pfuhlmann, PhD student at Helmholtz Zentrum.
“Normally those affected lose that feeling of fullness because the respective hormone — leptin — no longer has any effect. Celastrol, the compound we examined, restores leptin sensitivity and thus the sense of satiety,” said Pfuhlmann. “The administration of Celastrol resulted in a much lower intake of food. Correspondingly, we observed an average loss of about ten per cent in body weight within one week,” said Pfluger. However, the extent to which the findings of this study validate in humans remains unclear, but Pfluger expresses confidence. “Since the satiety hormone leptin has an almost identical effect in humans and mice, Celastrol has great potential,” he said.