A team of researchers in the United States has developed a new capsule that emits vibrations, giving a person a feeling of satiety and fullness when swallowed.
This capsule activates the same signals that reach the brain, thus giving the person a false sense of fullness.
In a study published in the journal Science Advances, the research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) administered this new capsule to laboratory animals twenty minutes before meals. They found that the capsule triggered the release of hormones that induce feelings of satiety, reducing the animals' food intake by 40 percent.
Researcher Shreya Srinivasan, a bioengineer at MIT, stated that this capsule could be beneficial "for those who want to lose weight or control their appetite." He added in comments to the technology website Medical Xpress that it is "an interesting technology because it offers a weight loss option with minimal side effects compared to other drug treatments."
“For someone who wants to lose weight or control their appetite, this capsule could be taken before each meal,” said Srinivasan. “This could be really interesting because it would offer an option that could reduce the side effects we see with other existing drug treatments.”
The researchers believe more research is needed to confirm the capsule’s safety for human use, but if it proves safe, this technology could offer a minimally invasive solution for treating obesity.
When the stomach becomes distended, cells called mechanoreceptors sense this expansion and send signals to the brain via the vagus nerve. As a result, the brain stimulates the production of insulin, as well as the hormones C-peptide, P-yoyo, and GLP. These hormones work together to help individuals digest food, feel full, and stop eating. At the same time, levels of ghrelin, the hunger-stimulating hormone, decrease.
In this study, Srinivasan and his team of researchers designed a multivitamin-sized capsule containing a vibration element. When the pill, powered by a tiny silver oxide battery, reaches the stomach, the acidic gastric fluids dissolve the gelatinous membrane covering the capsule, completing the electronic circuit that powers the vibrating motor.
In an animal study, researchers showed that once the pill begins to vibrate, it activates mechanoreceptors that send signals to the brain by stimulating the vagus nerve. The researchers tracked hormone levels during the periods when the device was vibrating and found that they mirrored the hormone release patterns observed after meals, even when the animals were fasting.