Study Points Out that a Synthetic Molecule Helps Reduce Visceral Fat and Improve Sleep

September 4, 2025 · Baton Rouge, LA

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Early-stage clinical trial reveals that peptide has potential to become a new tool for improving metabolic health and sleep quality in overweight adults; study involved scientists from Brazil, Israel and the United States

A study conducted by researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Proteimax Biotechnology (Israel), and the University of São Paulo’s Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP, Brazil) showed that ingesting Pep19 helps reduce visceral fat and improve sleep in obese adults. The molecule is a synthetic version of a peptide (a very small piece of protein) naturally found in human cells. Previous studies involving animal models have shown that Pep19 has anti-obesity effects and improves indicators such as blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

According to researchers, this occurs due to its effect on the endocannabinoid system, which plays an important role in regulating metabolism, appetite, lipolysis (fat breakdown), and energy release.

"The findings are very exciting – Pep19 not only improved sleep but also reduced abdominal fat,” said Dr. Prachi Singh, Associate Professor and Director of the Sleep and Cardiometabolic Health Lab at Pennington Biomedical. “This supports the growing understanding that sleep and fat metabolism are deeply interconnected and vital to overall health.”

Dr. Singh and Dr. Frank Greenway of Pennington Biomedical were both involved in the initial study design and data interpretation.

In “Pep19: A Novel Approach for Reducing Visceral Fat and Improving Sleep Quality in Obese Adults – Results From an Early-Stage Clinical Trial, published in the journal Diabetes Metabolism Research and Reviews, 24 volunteers between the ages of 46 and 59 who weighed between 91 and 106 kg and had a body mass index, or BMI, between 30 and 35 kg/m² were evaluated over 60 days in a triple-blind clinical trial. In this type of scientific study, neither the participants nor the researchers nor those responsible for the analysis know which volunteers took Pep19 and which took a placebo. 

“They were divided into three groups: placebo, 2 milligrams of Pep19, and 5 milligrams of Pep19, administered orally in capsules once a day before bedtime,” said Emer Suavinho Ferro, a professor at ICB-USP’s Department of Pharmacology and head of the Intracellular Peptide Pharmacology Laboratory, who participated in the analysis.

At the end of this period, parameters such as quality of life, body composition, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical markers were evaluated. The results showed that the group that received 5 mg of Pep19 had a 17 percent reduction in visceral fat (which is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes), with no changes in lean body mass. 

In addition, all volunteers who received the molecule in either concentration showed improved sleep quality, which is important since poor sleep contributes to obesity and its adverse effects. Notably, no side effects were observed. 

“We can also see that the peptide was able to transform part of the white fat, which serves as an energy reserve for the body, into brown fat, which is used for the body’s energy production, increasing calorie burning to generate energy and heat, a process that occurs when were exposed to very low temperatures,” said Andrea Heimann, a researcher from Proteimax Biotechnology.

The authors of the study emphasize that more extensive and longer-term clinical studies are still needed. However, the beneficial effects, safety, and ease of administration of the molecule reinforce its potential as a practical and effective solution.

“This is excellent news, as metabolic problems are one of the great evils of the century, and we face them without many truly effective options,” Heimann said. 

“New studies are currently underway, and if the results obtained so far are confirmed, Pep19 could become a revolutionary solution for improving the metabolic health and quality of life of millions of people,” Ferro said.