What is the science behind Elcella?

Long before Elcella was ever even dreamed of, we were just two gut scientists on a mission to understand how our guts worked at a very microscopic level. 

We studied gut tissue from real people. Not rats or mice. Real human guts, donated from the stomach all the way to the rectum. And we discovered something game-changing: our gut can taste food – just like the tongue.

But instead of telling your brain what tastes good, it tells your brain whether or not to keep eating. This is appetite regulation. And it’s the reason we created Elcella.

Let’s go on a journey of scientific discovery… 

So how does it work?

The lining of your gut is made up of millions of cells, including a special type called enteroendocrine cells. These cells are nutrient sensors. When they detect food, they release hormones that affect your appetite and metabolism.

Two of these hormones are GLP-1 and PYY — and they are very, very good at making you feel full.

We wanted to know which nutrients make these hormones get released. So we spent years studying real human gut tissue in the lab, and eventually found the answer. But we didn’t stop there.

What if you combined them?

Madusha had a hunch. She thought that if two different types of nutrient-sensing receptors were found on the same enteroendocrine cell, then activating them both at the same time might release more GLP-1 and PYY than usual.

She was right.

We found a combination of nutrients that could unlock two receptors at once, and trigger a bigger, more consistent hormone response.

This was a huge breakthrough. A totally natural way to support your body’s own appetite-regulating system — without drugs.

But there was one more problem

Most of the appetite hormone-releasing cells are located in the colon — the very end of your gut.

To get there, the nutrients had to pass through the stomach and small intestine without being destroyed. So we worked with formulation experts to protect the nutrients in a capsule that would only release in the colon.

Then we tested this in a clinical trial.

We ran a study in people with obesity

In a randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, 20 people with obesity were given either our formula or a placebo. After a break, they returned to do the study again — but received the opposite treatment.

And the results were clear.

When participants took our capsule, appetite was reduced and levels of GLP-1 and PYY went up. All in a single day.

This was the first real proof that our nutrient combination — when delivered to the colon — could support appetite regulation in a powerful and meaningful way.

🔬 Some of these findings are currently under patent protection and can’t be shared just yet.

So what now?

This research is still ongoing. We’re continuing to study how natural nutrients can be used to support appetite regulation and gut health in new and exciting ways.

But one thing is clear: Elcella works with your body — not against it — to support a healthier relationship with food.

And it all starts in the gut.