Ever wished you could eat anything and not gain weight? Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Well, it may not be a far-off dream for too long!
Scientists at the University of Texas have developed a drug that keeps you skinny, regardless of what you eat or how much you exercise. It speeds up the body’s metabolism, making it more efficient at breaking down sugar and fat.
The findings from their study may be revolutionary in the fight against obesity. It also suggests that the drug – called CPACC – can ward off all the health consequences of a bad diet.
Is CPACC the new Ozempic?
You’ve probably heard of Ozempic and know that it’s being prescribed to help combat weight gain. The issue with Ozempic is that it’s designed for those with type 2 diabetes and those who need the medication for diabetes are having trouble finding the drug now that Ozempic is considered THE weight loss drug right now.
Of course, there have been several other magic weight loss drugs in the past including Duromine which is an amphetamine derivative.
This new weight loss drug in the making may provide people who want to lose weight with an alternative option and could be life-changing for people who have struggled to lose weight their entire lives. But is it safe? Here’s what we know about it so far:
Magnesium for weight loss
Dr. Madesh Miniswamy and his team at the University of Texas have been studying the role magnesium plays in metabolism for years.
Through their research, the team has found that too much magnesium slows down mitochondrial energy production.
They tested their theory by deleting the gene that codes for the MRS2 channel in mice in an attempt to reduce the amount of magnesium that entered the mitochondria, which in turn would increase metabolism.
They found the mice remained thin, even when they ate a high-fat Western diet (WD).
In the study, 14-week-old male mice were given a Western-style diet for up to one year. After gorging for about 20 weeks, half of the mice were then given the drug and half a placebo.
According to the study published in the journal Cell Reports, the scientists found the mice that ingested the magnesium-blocking drug stayed slim despite their high-fat diet.
In addition to controlling their weight, the team found the treated mice had lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels compared to the placebo mice.
Drug mimics gene alteration
The biochemist and his team then set out to test a drug called CPACC that mimics the gene alteration previously seen in mice.
According to Dr. Muniswamy,
“A drug that can reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart attack and stroke, and also reduce the incidence of liver cancer, which can follow fatty liver disease, will make a huge impact.”
As a result of this powerful finding, the team has filed a patent application for this novel drug, and they intend to continue on to human trials in the coming years.
Major limitations of drug that keeps you skinny
Before fully celebrating the findings, and despite the study’s promising results, the study does come with some major limitations that warrant further investigation.
For example, the most obvious being that the study was conducted on mice and human testing is necessary, not only to determine whether the results are comparable but to determine if the drug is suitable for humans.
Furthermore, as expressed in the study, “[the] MRS2 channel is ubiquitously expressed and its impact on the other organs, including brain, cardiac, kidney, lung, and skeletal muscle needs a thorough investigation.”
Simply put, it is unknown what type of effect shutting off the MRS2 gene could have on the rest of the body.
Another issue is that offering a drug that keeps you skinny even if you don’t exercise or eat healthy cannot be good for your body. A good diet and exercise are so important for our mental and physical health.
We’ll stay tuned and eagerly away the team’s findings as they continue with their research.
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