SOUTH AUSTRALIAN researchers have unearthed a possible cure for obesity – fat-sucking clay.
Researchers at the University of South Australia stumbled across the discovery while investigating how clay materials can help antipsychotic drugs be more easily absorbed into the body.
UniSA researcher and PhD candidtate Tahnee Dening serendipitously discovered that the clay materials she was using had a unique ability to “soak up” fat droplets in the gut.
Dening said this accidental discovery could potentially be a cure for obesity.
“It’s quite amazing really,” Dening says. “I was investigating the capacity of specifically clay materials to improve the oral delivery and absorption of antipsychotic drugs, when I noticed that the clay particles weren’t behaving as I’d expected.
“Instead of breaking down to release drugs, the clay materials were attracting fat droplets and literally soaking them up.
“Not only were the clay materials trapping the fats within their particle structure, but they were also preventing them from being absorbed by the body, ensuring that fat simply passed through the digestive system.
“It’s this unique behaviour that immediately signalled we could be onto something significant - potentially a cure for obesity.”
Being overweight can cause serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, obesity is increasing with almost two in three adults, and one in four children, now overweight or obese.
With few effective drugs existing to counteract obesity, many companies are investing huge amounts to discover and develop alternative treatments for obesity.
Instead of breaking down to release drugs, the clay materials were attracting fat droplets and literally soaking them up
- Tahnee Denning
Dening’s research investigated the effects of both montmorillonite – a natural clay material purified from dirt, and laponite – a synthetic clay – in rats fed a high-fat diet, comparing against placebo and a leading weight loss drug - orlistat.
Monitoring over a two-week period, she found that while both the engineered clay formulations and orlistat delivered weight loss effects, both the clay materials outperformed the drug.
Dening says the findings offer new insights for obesity and weight-management, particularly when used in combination with the commercial drug, where there is potential for synergy.
“Our processed clay has an unusually high surface area which means it has a huge capacity to interact with and soak up digested fats and oils present in the foods we eat, “Dening says.
“Orlistat on the other hand, is an enzyme inhibitor that blocks up to 30 per cent of dietary fat digestion and absorption, which leads to weight loss, but has unpleasant side effects such as stomach aches, bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea, which limits its use in weight loss as people choose to stop using it.”
The team are now researching using both the clay materials and orlistat together.
“The orlistat blocks the enzyme that digests fat molecules, and the clay particles trap these fats so they’re excreted out of the body without causing gastrointestinal disturbances.
“We’re essentially attacking fat digestion and absorption in two different ways and we hope this will lead to greater weight loss with fewer side effects.”
UniSA Professor Clive Prestidge said it was feasible that human clinical trails could be on the horizon.
“This is a significant discovery that provides new and exciting avenues for weight loss research which naturally attracts potential commercial partners,” Prof Prestidge says.
“With a finding like this, people will naturally be keen to find out when they can try it. Given that the material is generally considered safe and is widely used in food and nutraceutical products, it is feasible that human clinical trials could start reasonably soon.”
Don’t dish the dirt
Dening warned anyone eating dirt in their quest to battle the bulge.
The ‘dirt’ used in her research was a type of natural clay, montmorillonite, and a synthetic clay, laponite, both of which have been manufactured and purified to meet strict regulatory requirements. This process ensures it is safe for human use.
“Common garden soils do not possess the same absorbent properties as montmorillonite and laponite clay materials and will not cause a weight loss effect,” Dening says.
“Eating dirt is likely to be dangerous as soil can contain worms, animal faeces, fungi and heavy metals including lead.”
People who eat it also risk contracting parasitic and bacterial infections.
Read more: Fatty food: Our brain made us eat it
Geraldine Cardozo
Features Editor at The Senior.
Features Editor at The Senior.
