London - A pill that helps the body produce more of the “appetite hormone” may be a new way to tackle constipation.
The hormone ghrelin is secreted when the stomach is empty, and triggers the brain to tell us we are hungry. It also speeds up the movement of food through the gut to make way for new food.
When the stomach is full, production of the hormone stops or slows.
It’s the speeding-up action that has been harnessed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in the US in a trial involving 50 patients who have had constipation for 12 or more weeks.
A previous study at the clinic, involving people with diabetes - who can be prone to constipation - found that the new pill sped up the movement of food through the bowel by an average of 33 minutes compared with a placebo. - Daily Mail