News from New Haven - 1

Appetite suppressants are a popular diet aid, but suppressing hunger could promote autoimmune disease (e.g, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis), say Yale University scientists. The researchers performed tests on mice to analyze the relationship between hunger neurons and T cells, which cause inflammation that can fight infection but can also lead to autoimmune disease.

“We’ve found that if appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, leading to decreased appetite and a leaner body weight, T cells are more likely to promote inflammation-like processes enabling autoimmune responses that could lead to diseases like multiple sclerosis,” said lead author Tamas Horvath, the Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research and chair of comparative medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

The majority of people we know (including us) are trying to lose weight for the familiar reasons. The Yale study suggests that using drugs to relieve hunger pangs may cause more harm than good.

Related note: during Lent, not a coincidence because of our unworldly focus, we read and tried out the FastDiet, during which the dieter "fasts" (daily consumption is capped at 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men) for any two days a week. It's easy to live with because there are no restrictions on the other five days. (Your humble observer stops reading as soon as he sees the phrase "permanent lifestyle change.")

Besides the obvious benefit of dropping 1-2 pounds per week, there does seem to be a bit more mental alertness, though admittedly we're starting from a pretty low base. I'm agnostic about some of the other benefits cited in the book, for example, the body's improved cancer-fighting ability, but there's little downside in trying it. A recommended, quick read. © 2013 Stephen Yuen