Nicotine in cigarettes has long been a powerful appetite suppressant and many smokers have taken on the habit to lose weight. Now scientists have discovered the way that the substance works are hoping to create a new weight loss drug by harnessing the power that nicotine has.

A study done at Yale University reported that nicotine attaches itself to brain receptors that influence the desire for food. The researchers termed the pathway the hypothalamic melanocortin system. This was discovered through mice experiments.

Smokers generally have a lower body mass index and only gain 5.5 pounds when they quit the habit. Nicotine is known to have long term weight loss associated with it, according to the reports.

“In surveys, the number one reason teenage girls start smoking is to stay lean,” Marina Picciotto, lead author on the study said.
The study was published in the journal Sciece.