Researchers at Stanford University explained that the diabetes drug metformin promotes weight reduction by stimulating the production of a "hunger-suppressing" molecule, typically generated after intense physical exercise. The study's findings, published on Monday in the journal Nature Metabolism, underscore the drug's impact on appetite control.

In 2022, Stanford researchers discovered that a molecule named "Lac-Phe," referred to as the "hunger-suppressing" molecule, reduces the feeling of hunger in both mice and even racehorses immediately after strenuous exercise.

The molecule is also linked to the burning sensation in muscles induced by physical activity and decreases food intake after exerting physical effort. Moreover, it was found to lead to weight loss.

In the latest study conducted on humans and mice, the team discovered that metformin-induced moderate weight loss is also due to the "hunger-suppressing" molecule. Metformin stimulates glucose breakdown, consequently lowering blood sugar levels, and this process may result in the production of the "hunger-suppressing" molecule.

The researchers observed that obese mice administered metformin exhibited increased levels of this molecule in their blood, ate less than their peers, and lost about two grams during the 7-day experiment. Additionally, the team analyzed blood plasma samples from humans with Type 2 diabetes before and after a 12-week period of metformin intake for blood sugar control. Increased levels of the "hunger-suppressing" molecule were noted in individuals after starting metformin treatment compared to before.

Moreover, a multi-ethnic study involving 79 people who were taking metformin also recorded significantly higher levels of the molecule in their bloodstream compared to those who were not on the medication.

Researchers believe that this discovery reinforces the critical role that the "hunger-suppressing" molecule plays in metabolism, exercise, and appetite regulation and may pave the way for a new class of weight loss drugs.

The lead researcher of the study, Dr. Jonathan Long from Stanford University, remarked, "Up until now, the mechanism by which metformin, which is prescribed to control blood sugar levels, induces weight loss was unclear."

He further elaborated on the university's website, "We now know that it operates through the same pathway that intense physical exercises utilize to reduce hunger," suggesting that "understanding how to control these pathways could lead to viable strategies for decreasing body mass and enhancing health for millions of individuals."