Hormone discovered that turns the brain into a calorie-burning machine

Breakthrough in the fight against obesity: Brazilian scientists discovered how an intestinal hormone "turns on" fat burning in the brain. The study is published in the authoritative scientific journal Endocrinology and Metabolism (EM).

A scientific team from São Paulo State University made a revolutionary discovery: the hormone FGF19, produced in the intestine, directly affects the hypothalamus - a key brain center that controls the body's energy balance. Under the influence of this hormone, brown adipose tissue is activated, inflammation is reduced, and resistance to low temperatures is significantly increased.

"Previously, we knew that this hormone suppresses appetite. Now it has become clear that it also stimulates energy expenditure, which makes it a powerful tool in the fight against obesity," shared Professor Elena Barboza, who leads the research project.

During the experimental part of the work, scientists injected FGF19 directly into the brains of laboratory mice with excess body weight. The results were not long in coming - soon a significant increase in fat burning processes was observed. This clearly confirmed the ability of the hypothalamus to perceive signals from this hormone and trigger energy expenditure mechanisms.

The researchers were particularly interested in the fact that cold exposure significantly enhanced the brain's response to FGF19. This discovery points to the crucial role of the hormone in thermoregulation processes and opens up promising directions for creating medications capable of activating the body's natural mechanisms.

In the final phase of the study, the scientific team conducted a large-scale analysis of more than 50 thousand hypothalamic cells, identifying specific types of neurons sensitive to FGF19. The scientists' next task will be to search for methods to stimulate the production of this hormone naturally.