Social media is often awash with the latest trend in teas that promise weight loss to varying degrees, but a new edible microbead constructed from nutritionally sound ingredients could be the future of our fat busting beverages. Here’s what we know so far.
Scientists searching for a more natural approach to fat loss than inconvenient injections or invasive surgery have developed a microbeads made from green tea polyphenols, vitamin E, and seaweed that binds to fats in the gastrointestinal tract, providing hope that that a scientifically sound weight loss drink such as a cup of microbead-filled-tea could turn the tide on obesity.
“Losing weight can help some people prevent long-term health issues like diabetes and heart disease,” says Yue Wu, who tested the beads during an initial study involving rats, with her team at Sichuan University in China. “Our microbeads work directly in the gut to block fat absorption in a non-invasive and gentle way,” she explains.
To begin the breakthrough, Wu’s team designed and constructed the plant-based microbeads as a form of “chemical tether” that binds to fat droplets and prevents them from being absorbed by the body. Apparently, the beads are almost flavorless, meaning that they could be mixed with a variety of food and drink products to limit our fat intake in the future. While this welcome invention has only been tested on rats for now, the results have been exciting to say the least.
Rats tested with the microbeads had:
- A 17% reduction in bodyweight
- Less fat tissue
- Better liver health
- The ability to excrete more fat naturally
Additionally, no side-effects were observed as a result of consuming the beads. “All the ingredients are food grade and FDA-approved, and their production can be easily scaled up,” says Yunxiang He, who is an associate professor and was a co-author on Wu’s presentation.
When Will The Fat-Trapping Microbeads be Available?
The team behind the fat binding microbeads have announced that they’ve already begun work with a biotech company to progress larger scale manufacturing, and they have initiated human clinical trials too, meaning that this natural weight loss solution could one day hit the shelves.
“This represents a major step toward clinical translation of our polyphenol-based microbeads, following our foundational results,” says Wu. “We have officially enrolled 26 participants in our investigator-initiated trial, and we anticipate that preliminary data may become available within the next year.” We’ll drink to that!
