New analysis sheds gentle on how GLP-1 weight problems medication might change meals cravings

In a current overview revealed within the Worldwide Journal of Weight problems, researchers explored the potential of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog therapies to alter meals preferences and consumption and scale back weight problems.

They concluded that whereas outcomes present that GLP-1 lowers urge for food and consumption within the quick time period, they depend on self-reports of consumption. Additional research are wanted to evaluate weight upkeep utilizing goal consumption measurements.

Examine: Adjustments in meals preferences and ingestive behaviors after glucagon-like peptide-1 analog therapy: methods and alternatives. Picture Credit score: SHISANUPONG1986 / Shutterstock

Background

Of the three major interventions for weight problems, specifically surgical intervention, life-style modifications, and drugs, pharmacology has emerged as minimally invasive, promisingly efficient at lowering weight, and extra sustainable in the long run.

GLP-1 analog medicines resembling semaglutide and liraglutide are sometimes prescribed to handle weight problems. Current research have targeted on the mechanisms underlying their impact on weight reduction, particularly how they alter meals preferences and consumption.

Concerning the research

This overview targeted on GLP-1 analog medication, assessing how they’ve been studied and synthesizing what’s presently recognized about their results. Authors positioned related analysis by the medical literature database PubMed utilizing search phrases resembling ‘weight problems,’ ‘semaglutide,’ ‘liraglutide,’ and ‘GLP-1 analog.’

Outcomes have been filtered to make sure that they pertained to research with human and rodent individuals and had been revealed inside a timeframe of 25 years. Outcomes have been restricted to style desire, meals consumption, weight reduction, and upkeep. Data associated to publication yr, location, strategies, outcomes, and research kind have been famous.

Findings

Researchers have studied ingestion behaviors by foods and drinks displays and generally depend on verbal experiences and visible analog scales to evaluate fullness and satiety. Self-reported information are used to evaluate meals preferences and consuming management.

Research utilizing practical magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have discovered that individuals who use GLP-1 analog medication present lowered responses to footage of meals, notably in mind areas related to reward and urge for food, such because the amygdala, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and putamen.

Semaglutide seems to focus on circumventricular organs as an alternative of breaching the blood-brain barrier, binding with GLP-1 receptors, and modifying meals preferences by interacting with amphetamine- and cocaine-regulated transcripts and proopiomelanocortin neurons.

After semaglutide therapy, people drop a few pounds for 12-18 months earlier than their weight stabilizes in the course of the upkeep section. Individuals taking semaglutide stated they felt much less want for salty, spicy, high-fat, candy, and savory meals, craved much less starch and dairy, and confronted much less issue resisting cravings and controlling their meals consumption. Nevertheless, animal research counsel semaglutide therapy may additionally improve low- and mid-range sucrose consumption.

In the course of the weight discount section, sufferers consumed smaller meals and confirmed decrease preferences for energy-rich meals, resulting in much less power consumption. Research haven’t reported ingestive habits in the course of the upkeep section, so whether or not sufferers return to their unique meals habits is unknown.

Some gastrointestinal results of semaglutide, resembling diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting, have been reported, however starting at decrease treatment doses has been discovered to deal with this situation.

One other GLP-1 analog drug, liraglutide, reduces starvation and will increase emotions of satiation in the course of the preliminary section by binding with GLP-1 receptors within the arcuate nucleus and subcortical mind area, stimulating proopiomelanocortin neurons. It could gradual gastric emptying, however the way it may accomplish that has not been established.

Conclusions

The proof means that GLP-1 analog medication alter meals preferences and scale back meals cravings and consumption, which may result in long-term weight reduction and upkeep. Nevertheless, animal research additionally point out that these medication may improve sucrose consumption, which needs to be examined in people.

Much less consideration has been paid to ingestive, appetitive, and consummatory habits within the weight upkeep section. As an alternative, most research have targeted on the burden loss section, and plenty of have requested individuals to report on their very own cravings, portion management, and urge for food.

Whereas such information is simpler to gather, it might result in biases associated to recall and social desirability, and goal measurements are wanted to know the consequences of anti-obesity medication.

The authors observe that the weight-loss results of GLP-1 analogs at the moment are well-established and that new medicines are below improvement.

Understanding the behavioral mechanisms by which these medication take impact utilizing human and rodent research can enable researchers and well being practitioners to refine therapies and tailor interventions to the wants of particular person sufferers, enhancing general outcomes.

Additional, specializing in the burden upkeep section of therapy can scale back unrealistic expectations by sufferers and their clinicians and result in much less propagation of misinformation concerning the medication’ long-term results, which may threaten the willingness of individuals to make use of these medicines to deal with weight problems sooner or later.