The secret of your mouth

A enzyme that makes you fat The alpha-amylase it works by breaking bonds of large molecules of foods, such as starch, and reduces them to smaller ones, such as glucose, which, in turn, cause the sensation of being satiated. But if we have low levels of alpha-amylase, we digest more slowly and the feeling hungry It stays longer, so we end up eating more to achieve that feeling of satiety.

Digestion and satiety. The digestion does not start in the stomach but, thanks to the saliva, in the mouth. The action carried out by enzymes such as alpha-amylase is vital to digest food. Now, a group of researchers from the Universities of Jaén and Malaga have also proven that people who have low levels of this enzyme in saliva have difficulty feeling full and eat more.

Hunger marker. After their studies, experts propose this enzyme as a marker of the hunger that each individual feels and their propensity to be overweight, since having more or less appetite depends on it. Can this enzyme become a future treatment against obesity?