A New Weight-Loss Capsule You Swallow May Prevent Overeating

Researchers at MIT are testing a new weight loss product that tricks the brain into thinking you're full. It's a vibrating capsule designed to be swallowed before meals. The lead author says this could be really interesting because it would provide an option that could minimize the side effects seen with other pharmacological treatments.

In a recent study, animals given the capsule 20 minutes before feeding ate 40% less than usual. Researchers say vibrations from the capsule activate receptors in the stomach that signal the brain to release insulin and other hormones that help digest food and stop eating. The current version of the capsule vibrates for about 30 minutes and, in animal tests, passed harmlessly through the digestive tract in four to five days.

The researchers say these pills could provide a less expensive option to pricey weight loss drugs. They are looking at ways to ramp up production of the capsule to prepare for human clinical trials.