New way to reverse obesity
Obesity is becoming a major epidemic of the 21st Century with approximately 1.6 billion adults worldwide overweight. Image: KLH49/iStockphoto A recent study by La Trobe University has shown to reverse obesity, body fat and improve insulin sensitivity in mice.Scientists used the ACE inhibitor captopril (CAP)—commonly used for the treatment of hypertension and cardiac conditions—and found that it can reduce the body weight of mice maintained on a high-fat diet.Initially, mice were put on a high fat diet for 12 weeks to produce mice with diet-induced obesity. During the subsequent 12 weeks treatment period, the mice were allowed access to the high-fat diet and either water containing CAP or plain tap water (the control). ‘From the first week of treatment, food intake and body weight decreased in the mice treated with CAP compared with the control mice. ‘Both peripheral insulin sensitivity and hepatic insulin sensitivity were improved in CAP treated mice compared with...