Exciting news in the realm of weight loss this week! Scientists just unveiled some promising initial findings from a small trial testing out a new approach to combating obesity—one that doesn’t involve surgery. Instead, they’re using a technique called endoscopic mucosal ablation.
Here’s how it works: Patients first drink a protective fluid for their stomach lining. Then, doctors use an endoscope to reach the upper part of the stomach, known as the gastric fundus, where they target and burn away some of the inner lining. This part of the stomach is important because it produces a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates hunger when our stomach is empty.
By reducing the ghrelin-producing cells in this area, the procedure aims to decrease feelings of hunger and promote weight loss. And early results from the trial are promising! Out of the ten female participants with obesity, on average they lost around 7.7% of their body weight. Not only that, but their levels of fasting ghrelin dropped by over 40%, and they reported feeling significantly less hungry.
It’s an exciting step forward in the quest to tackle obesity and improve health outcomes.
