Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a vibrating capsule that creates a feeling of satiety when swallowed. This is reported in an article published in the journal Science Advances.
Experiments showed that in animals who were given this pill 20 minutes before eating, there was a release of hormones that signal satiety, and food intake decreased by about 40 per cent.
When the stomach swells, specialised cells called mechanoreceptors sense this distension and send signals to the brain via the vagus nerve. As a result, the brain stimulates the production of insulin, as well as hormones such as C-peptide, PYY and GTP-1. All these hormones help people digest food, feel satiated and stop eating. At the same time, levels of ghrelin, a hormone that triggers feelings of hunger, are reduced.
