Edible microbeads designed to trap fats within the gut have shown potential to promote weight loss without some of the serious side effects linked to FDA-approved drugs such as orlistat and semaglutide. Results were presented today at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) , revealing a 17% weight loss rate without side effects in rats fed these microbeads along with a high-fat diet.

“Losing weight can help some people prevent long-term health issues like diabetes and heart disease,” said Yue Wu, graduate student at Sichuan University, who led the research. “Our microbeads work directly in the gut to block fat absorption in a noninvasive and gentle way.”

Weight gain can be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including high-fat diets where 35% or

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