Despite more than 25 years of research on antiobesity drugs, few medications have shown long-term success. Now researchers reporting online in the Cell Press journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism say that targeting taste sensors in the gut may be a promising new strategy.



The gut "tastes" what we eat - bitter, sweet, fat, and savory - in much the same way as the tongue and through the use of similar signaling mechanisms. The result is the release of hormones to control satiety and blood sugar levels when food reaches the gut. The sensors, or receptors, in the stomach respond to excess food intake, and their malfunction may play a role in the development of obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic conditions.



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