Easy Brief

Pythons can swallow prey equal to their body weight and survive for over a year without eating. US researchers wondered how this is possible and examined python blood. As a result, they discovered a special component that drastically reduces appetite.

The discovered component sends signals directly to the brain to induce a feeling of fullness. Current popular obesity drugs slow down gastrointestinal movement, often causing side effects like nausea and stomach pain. However, this python-derived component only reduces appetite without affecting the stomach, eliminating such side effects. When injected into obese mice, they lost 9% of their body weight in a month without any adverse reactions.

As people age, exercising to lose weight becomes difficult, and strong medications raise concerns about side effects. If this research leads to a new drug, it could offer a much more comfortable and safer way to manage weight without heartburn or nausea.

It is still in the animal testing phase and cannot be used on humans immediately. However, since humans also have small amounts of this substance in their bodies, it is likely safe. We can look forward to its development into an effective treatment through future clinical trials.