Sand Particles Could be the Next Anti-Obesity Therapy [Study]

Sand particles have been found to be a potential catalyst to cure obesity, according to a new study led by Australia.

Researchers from the University of South Australia claimed to have engineered particles of purified sand that could be the next anti-obesity therapy.

The study proved that porous silica particles could stop fat accumulation, as well as carbohydrates once inside the body.

Obesity is considered to be a global health issue and is a common risk factors for various medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, heart attack, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.

With no official cure in sight, obesity and overweight is reportedly a complex disease characterized by the accumulation of excessive fat based on the body mass index (BMI); where over 25 is overweight and over 30 is obese.

The first evidence or concept of obesity reached the spotlight in previous decades, where it was treated as a phenomenon rather than an isolated medical disease.

In the United States, experts attribute the cause of obesity in a number of factors, including unhealthy lifestyle, diet, and sleeping habits.

The relation of obesity and genetics is also being considered by scientists in previous years.

The Next Anti-Obesity Therapy?

(Photo : Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

The new research about the engineered purified sand particles and its potential to address the obesity pandemic was published in the journal Pharmaceutics in August 2022.

The research team believed that porous silica could be an effective anti-obesity agency after receiving increasing attention in previous years.

The team used an advanced in vitro digestion model that allowed the monitoring of lipid and carbohydrate digestion to show the effect of porous silica consumption on digestive enzyme processes.

The model showed that the anti-obesity effect of the purified sand depends on its pore nanostructure, particle size, and surface chemistry, the study said.

Also Read: Teenage Mothers at Higher Risk of Developing Obesity: Study

What is Porous Silica?

For over a decade, studies of nanoparticles and nanostructures have garnered increasing interest worldwide.

Among them, porous silica particles have been proven to be an interesting subject matter due to its broad applications in areas such as catalysis and separation science, according to a research published in The Royal Society Publishing in September 2010.

The said porous silica spheres have fibers capable of intense absorption.

In relation to the recent University of South Australia study, the engineered purified sand particles of porous silica can prevent carbohydrates and fats from completely being absorbed in the body.

Obesity Statistics

In its 2021 report, the World Health Organization (WHO) said global obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 and over 650 million people, out of 1.9 overweight billion adults, were obese in 2016.

In this figure alone, 39% of adults aged 18 years and above were overweight in the said year.

In 2020, 39 million children below the age of 5 were either overweight or obese, the WHO added.

In Australia, two out of three or 67% adult Australians aged 18 and above were overweight or obese.

The figure includes 36% to be overweight but not obese and 31% to be obese, accounting to a total of approximately 12.5 million adults, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).