Nicotine: A cure for obesity?
A new study suggests it is possible to get the appetite-suppressing benefits of smoking without the cigarette... or the health risks
Many cigarette smokers have shed extra pounds through their otherwise-unhealthy nicotine habit. But now, scientists have identified and isolated the pathways in the brain that are affected by nicotine's appetite suppressants. The research, published in the journal Science, might lead to the development of a healthy, nicotine-based treatment to control obesity. Here, a short guide to the findings:
How did the researchers make their discovery?
It was accidental, actually. Researchers from Yale and Baylor were looking for new drugs to treat depression, when they noticed that mice given nicotine were eating less. The scientists gave the mice a chemical compound that blocked nicotine receptors, and the rodents' appetites returned. Next, the researchers genetically modified some mice to knock out those nicotine receptors. When given nicotine, the mice without nicotine receptors did not lose weight, but mice with the receptors did. The researchers also found that these receptors are independent from those known to trigger tobacco cravings in smokers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Does that mean nicotine can cure obesity?
Maybe. A lot of tests and studies still need to be completed. But this research suggests that it is possible to make a nicotine-based drug that isn't addictive, even though it still has nicotine's appetite-suppressing powers.
How long until we have a nicotine diet drug?
A long time. The early trials of a such a drug on mice have gone well, but the effect of a nicotine-stimulating drug on human test subjects is still unknown. There is also a fear of side effects, such as dangerously increased blood pressure and heart rates. "No one should wait around for a new drug that might help them stay slim," says Alice Park at TIME.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sources: BBC, CBS News, Discover, Science Blog, Gamut News, TIME
-
How should the West respond to Syria's new leadership?
Today's Big Question The weight of historical interventions and non-interventions in the region hangs heavy on Western leaders' minds
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Guinness: how Irish stout became Britain's most popular pint
Pubs across Britain are warning supplies could run out in the build-up to Christmas after a rise in popularity
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The Sticky: a 'beautifully unhinged' crime caper
The Week Recommends Bingeworthy Amazon Prime series puts 'Fargo-like spin' on the tale of Canada's real-life maple-syrup heist
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published