Washington, Oct 5 (ANI): A new study, led by an Indian-origin scientist, has claimed that the deficiency of the neuropeptide hormone orexin, an ingredient that encourages hunger and wakefulness, is the reason why narcoleptics get fat.
According to researchers, the findings of the study may lead to orexin-based weight loss therapies for those with narcolepsy as well for all the others.
Devanjan Sikder of the Sanford-Burnham Research Institute explained that rexins are rather unique as they allow one to eat more and lose more at the same time.
"It is a couch potato's dream," he said.
Fat comes in one of two types: white or brown. While white fat stores calories, brown fat burns them, generating heat in the process.
The new evidence in mice shows that orexins are critical for the formation of mature brown fat from its precursors and with too little orexin, animals' brown fat activity drops along with their energy expenditure.
There are already ways of stimulating brown fat's production, but it isn't easy to do like more brown fat is produced when you spend a lot of time in the cold.
The new findings suggest that orexin therapies might be useful for increasing brown fat and literally melting extra calories away.
"One caveat is that orexin might increase arousal although this is expected only under sleep deprived conditions," the researchers stated. (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
