Scientists Confirm that Particles of Purified Sand Have Anti-Obesity Properties.

 

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Purified sand-based porous silica particles may one day be used in weight loss efforts.

Although the actual weight-loss mechanism behind the potential treatment is poorly understood, previous clinical trials have already produced promising outcomes.

Researchers have now tested a variety of sizes and shapes of silica in a simulation of the human gut following a large meal to determine the most important variables.

The findings lend credence to the idea that porous silica can "impede the digestive processes," which are typically triggered by enzymes in the stomach and intestines that break down fat, cholesterol, starches, and sugars.

In addition, it appears that the degree of inhibition of digestive activity is determined by the size of the nanoparticles administered.

Despite the fact that the authors acknowledge that their model is far too simplistic to accurately replicate the complexity of the human digestive system during digestion, gut simulations and animal models are closer than researchers might otherwise be able to get due to the ethical issues surrounding human clinical trials.

This new model, in contrast to other human gut models, takes into account both the digestion of fat and carbohydrates. The authors also looked into how much organic matter could be taken in through the stomach.

The new findings provide additional research with a more solid starting point, but it's possible that porous silica also reduces weight gain in other ways.

In 2014, researchers discovered that mice fed nanoparticles of porous silica (MSPs) lost significantly more weight than mice fed diets high in fat. Additionally, their percentage of total body fat decreased. Nevertheless, the size distribution of the used silica particles appeared to be the source of that effect. In the end, larger particles were more effective.

These findings were supported by subsequent mouse studies. The efficacy of mouse digestion in the small intestine appeared to be determined by the appropriate size and shape of porous silica particles.

In 2020, the first clinical data on 10 healthy people with obesity showed that MSPs can lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels, two known risk factors for metabolic and cardiovascular problems.

Even better, unlike current weight-gain medications like Orlistat, the treatment did not cause any discomfort in the abdomen or alterations in bowel habits.

By comparing a variety of 13 porous silica samples with various widths, absorption potentials, shapes, sizes, and surface chemistries, the current study expands on these promising findings.

Each of these samples was fed a human gastrointestinal model that simulated a fed state following a meal high in carbohydrates and fat. The model allowed for half an hour of digestion in the stomach and an hour of digestion and absorption in the intestines.

Titrating fatty acids from what was absorbed was used to monitor fat digestion, and measuring the concentration of sugars absorbed was used to monitor starch digestion.

The ideal silica samples, according to the authors, were silica microparticles with pore widths ranging from 6 to 10 nanometers. The examined enzymes appeared to be inhibited by these sizes.

In addition, the pores appear to hold enzymes as well. Researchers believe that it is more complicated than that.

For instance, some pores, which were the right size to stop starch digestion, were too big to catch enzymes that help digest fat.

Additionally, it appeared as though the nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract were taken in by the porous sand particles before they could enter the bloodstream.

The particles could counteract the intake of calories in this way in another way.

In models, the most organic matter was actually absorbed by particles with larger surface areas but smaller pores that could not affect digestive enzymes.

To replicate these results, additional research on animal models will be required. The proposed mechanism may then be validated through human clinical trials.

The study was published in Pharmaceutics.