Want to Lose Weight? Early Research Says Oxytocin Nasal Spray Helps Reduce Appetite

Are you one of millions who are looking to lose weight. Researchers may have found a new solution with an oxytocin hormone based nasal spray that has been found to reduce appetite among a small group of study subjects, leading to lower consumption of calorie with a single dose.

The new study by Harvard Medical School tested a synthetic nasal formulation of oxytocin, and found the hormone treatment reduced the number of calories that men consumed, especially calories from fatty foods.

Oxytocin is known as the love hormone since it's usually secreted by the pituitary gland when a person is engaged in cuddling, kissing, or having sex. Women tend to produce it in significant quantities when they are giving birth (especially during contractions) and breast-feeding.

For the study, 25 men with an average age of 27 years were offered oxytocin nasal spray or a placebo. The group comprised of 13 men with normal weight and 12 men in overweight or obese category.

The study subjects were asked to self-administer the nasal spray and after one hour, they were allowed to have breakfast. The men were given double the amount of breakfast they ordered. At the end of the meal, the consumption was checked by the research team.

"We are seeing early signs that oxytocin reduces how much food someone eats at a meal and improves the way their body handles blood sugar," said study lead author Dr. Elizabeth Lawson, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

The small study found that those who took the oxytocin ate 122 fewer calories, on average, the study found. They also consumed less fatty food -- about 9 fewer fat grams on average. That translates to about 80 fewer calories from fatty food.

The study is will be presented March 8 at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.