Metformina is one of the most widely used substances in the treatment of diabetes. Recently there has been a strange trend of taking this pharmaceutical to lose extra pounds. Is this really a good idea? Isn’t taking a medication designed to treat a disease that you don’t actually have a simple way to get yourself into health trouble? Let’s see how metformin can affect weight loss.
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What is metformin and what conditions is it used for?
In strictly chemical terms, it is an organic chemical compound, a dimethyl derivative of biguanide. Due to its high efficacy and safety, it is used as the primary treatment for type 2 diabetes. Metformina is currently available under many trade names, including Formetic, Glucophage, Metformax, Avamina and Siofor diabetes drugs. This chemical compound has actually been known for several decades, and studies conducted over that time have confirmed its effectiveness in the treatment of diabetes and in cases of insulin resistance.
Metformina has a multidirectional effect, contributing to a real reduction in blood glucose levels and its normalization, reduces the risk of diabetic complications, has a positive effect on blood vessels. It is also administered to people with abnormal glucose tolerance and women with reproductive cycle disorders.
How does metformin work?
This substance is commonly called a glucose eater because it effectively lowers glucose levels in the blood. More specifically, it blocks gluconeogenesis, contributing to reduced glucose production by the liver. It also improves glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes, and finally, it inhibits glucose absorption. In addition, metformin has a beneficial effect on the condition of blood vessels, contributing to a reduction in blood pressure.
Metformina is also used in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, as it supposedly regulates the frequency of ovulation and increases the likelihood of pregnancy. Studies have also been conducted for some time to confirm claims that metformin reduces the risk of cancer.
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Metformina and weight loss
There is no doubt that metformin affects the concentration of lipids in the blood. Some also attribute to it stabilizing effects when it comes to maintaining a healthy body weight. Due to the wide spectrum of effects on metabolic processes, one can of course talk about a certain facilitation of weight loss or excess body fat. However, drawing far-reaching conclusions from this fact, as if this diabetes drug is another miracle weight-loss remedy, is completely unjustified. Metformina for weight loss can only be used for diabetic patients at risk of obesity.
Meanwhile, many people, especially, and this is particularly dangerous, very young girls, reach for glucose eaters, including metformin, not realizing the potential risks and not understanding that even the best specific will not be permanently effective if it is not accompanied by a thorough change in lifestyle.
Increased insulin sensitivity and reduced insulin production may facilitate weight loss, but taking metformin, especially in high doses, may paradoxically contribute to feelings of hunger, which undoubtedly promotes obesity. A sharp drop in glucose levels and increased insulin secretion is the expected reaction of the body in such a situation, not to mention other negative consequences.
Metformina – side effects
Taking this substance without therapeutic justification can lead to many health complications and in extreme cases even death. Metformina can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a particularly dangerous metabolic acidosis. A significant drop in blood sugar levels can also cause anxiety, drowsiness, weakness and fainting, dizziness, increased heart rate, and a nagging feeling of hunger.
Metformin should not be taken by people with kidney or liver failure, heart problems, respiratory problems, chronic diseases, alcohol problems.
Metformina – opinions
On Internet forums you can find incredibly enthusiastic entries about the allegedly extraordinary effects of using metformin. They talk about weight loss of 10 or 12 kg in a month and the absence of any side effects. It’s worth to approach this kind of revelations with caution, the more so because there is no shortage of reports about the unpleasant consequences of taking this substance – bad mood, headaches and dizziness, diarrhea or vomiting.
It’s also worth revising your eating habits and increasing your physical activity, instead of stuffing yourself with a chemical substance with a purpose other than weight loss.
Effective weight loss – if not metformin, then what?
There are many supplements available on the market, specially dedicated to people who want to lose weight and, what’s most important, made of natural ingredients. Many of them are effective in regulating sugar levels, while showing a number of other beneficial properties for the body.
For example, BurnBooster is such a product. The supplement contains valuable extracts from green coffee, Garcinia cambogia, cayenne pepper and green barley. The ingredients not only contribute to lowering sugar levels, but also accelerate metabolism and fat breakdown, give energy, cleanse the body and stimulate digestive processes. This and other fat burners are therefore definitely a more comprehensive weight loss aid than the single-purpose metformin.
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