Edible hydrogel with dual network structure for weight management

Obesity, a global health crisis, is fueled by shifts in behavior and environmental factors, notably increased consumption of energy-dense processed foods and inadequate dietary fiber. Traditional weight loss methods pose safety challenges. Sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), a promising dietary fiber supplement, aids weight management. However, CMC-based hydrogels have mechanical weaknesses and poor gastrointestinal retention. A new dual-network structured hydrogel here was introduced to address these issues, maintaining volume and elasticity in the digestive system without adding calories, reducing caloric density, and enhancing food elasticity for prolonged satiety. The study assessed four distinct hydrogels, analyzing their mechanical characteristics under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and biomimetic digestion to identify promising options for clinical development. This dual-network hydrogel exhibits a mechanical strength up to 100 times that of the original gel, while its swelling rate throughout the digestion process is approximately twice that of the original gel. This offers a potential solution for obesity management, providing sustained satiety and addressing the mechanical deficiencies of current hydrogels within the digestive system.