Obesity Could Be Treated Using Purified Sand Particles: Study

The prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.9 billion people worldwide are overweight or obese. In the fight against rising obesity rates, researchers have looked far and wide for new weapons. The most likely cure for this outbreak is purified sand.

According to a recent study from the University of South Australia, porous silica can stop fats and carbohydrates from being absorbed by the body, making engineered particles of purified sand the next anti-obesity medication.

The pure sand-derived synthetic silica particles have a high surface area that allows them to absorb a lot of sugars, fats, and digestive enzymes from the gastrointestinal tract.

According to the study, porous silica is one such colloid that has received increasing attention for its anti-obesity potential, with oral dosing triggering reductions in metabolic risk factors in both animal obesity models and human clinical studies.

"Our research shows how porous silica promotes an anti-obesity effect by functioning locally in the gut to restrict fat and carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Importantly, the gentle mechanism is expected to deliver clinically effective outcomes for weight loss without adverse effects," said lead researcher Paul Joyce.

"Importantly, the gentle mechanism is expected to deliver clinically effective outcomes for weight loss without adverse effects."

According to the World Health Organization, most of the world's population lives in countries where being overweight or obese kills more people than being underweight. 39 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2020. Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 were overweight or obese in 2016.