The news that milk, or at least a substance extracted from it, might actually work as a slimming aid comes from some new research
where the diets of mice were studied by a scientific team. The study showed that milk can halt the development of obesity even in mice which were fed diets that were high in fat. This is due to a special substance found within milk.
According to Cell Press
, The substance found within milk was identified and named as nicotinamide riboside. In some ways it has a similar effect on the body of mammals as the substance resveratrol does, which is found in red wine.
For the study, mice that were given nicotinamide riboside in fairly high doses along with their high-fat meals burnt off more fat and were protected from obesity. They also become better runners as the developed muscles that had greater endurance. These findings were contrasted to a control group of mice who were not given the substance.
Whilst the research does not mean that drinking large quantities of milk will lead to weight reduction, the implication of the research, as In Science
explains, is that it could lead to the development of a new type of metabolism-boosting supplement.
The research was published
in the June 2012 edition of the journal Cell Metabolism. The reference is:
CanCarles Cantó et al. The NAD precursor nicotinamide riboside enhances oxidative metabolism and protects against high-fat diet induced obesity. Cell Metabolism, 15(6)