Saturday, June 30, 2007

A diet pill that swells in the stomach to stop hunger pangs


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6252720.stm

Italian scientists have developed a pill that expands in the stomach to make dieters feel full. They liken the effect to eating a bowl of spaghetti and say the pill can stop hunger for a few hours. It is made from a hydrogel, which the team developed when trying to make more absorbent nappy linings, and may help in the battle against obesity. The tiny pill is powdery when dry but when swallowed with a glass of water turns to a jelly-like ball in the stomach.It is made from an organic compound called cellulose and can be flushed out by the body. The pill, which has yet to be named, is being tested in a further 90 overweight volunteers who will be monitored to see how much weight they lose and if there are any adverse effects.

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