New diet help? Insulin spray can quench your hunger!
What was determined?
As experts from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) in Tübingen have found out in a study, insulin has a decisive influence on one's own hunger. The reason: The hormone is not only active in the body itself, but also in the brain, where it affects the subjective feeling of hunger. The new findings could help to regulate the eating habits of patients with diabetes or obesity. And to help these people lose weight.
How did the study go?
To better understand how insulin works, researchers have given 47 adults insulin spray. By applying the hormone via a nasal spray, the hormone directly into the brain. Over the course of the study, 25 healthy, slim, 10 overweight, and 12 obese adults snorted insulin or placebo. After 30 minutes, brain activity was monitored. Another 1.5 hours later, the subjects were questioned about their subjective hunger.
The result: All participants, especially those who were overweight, had significantly less hunger than those taking a placebo. The hormone activated the region of the brain that is dedicated to cognitive processes such as daydreaming or future plans. The subjects thought thus significantly less irritant, which has the consequence that the feeling of hunger was suppressed. Whether and to what extent this discovery can counteract the emergence of obesity remains to be seen.
