Metformin is prescribed for type 2 diabetes management but research indicated it can also help with weight loss. Researchers reported that the diabetes drug Metformin may increase your body production of same molecule produces after vigorous exercise , producing weight loss benifits.
This molecule is known for it’s “anti hunger” effects that suppress appetite. Experts say that Metformin can lead to modest weight loss through many pathways , but this findings primarily emphasize the value of exercise.
“Until now the way Metformin , prescribed to control blood sugar level also being about weight loss has been unclear ” said Johnathan Long, PhD and associated professor of pathology in Stanford and a study author in a press statement. “Now we know that it is acting through same pathway as vigorous exercise to reduce hunger . Understanding how these pathways are controlled may lead to viable strategies to lower body mass and improve health in millions of people “.
Metformin and appetite:
After trial in mice with obesity, researchers analysed blood plasma samples from people with type 2 diabetes before and after 12 weeks of taking Metformin. Participants started on daily dose of 500mg and it is increasing gradually to 2,000 mg. Researchers reported that during this period the participant’ s lac phe levels increased significantly .
The researchers also analysed blood samples in a larger study with 79 participants with diabetes and heart diseases. Lac-phe levels were significantly higher in participants taking Metformin compared to who are not taking the medication. Long and his team has also found the opposite to be true: blocking lac -phe production in mice reversed appetite suppression and causes them to regain weight.
” The fact that Metformin and sprint exercises effects your body weight through same pathway is both weird and interesting “. Said Long. He added that these findings could lead to the development of new weight loss medications. Metformin which is sold under the brand names Fortamet and Glumetza has been shown to cause modest weight loss within a month of starting the medication. Metformin has not been approved yet by the Food and Drug Administration for use in weight loss.
Benifits of Metformin:
Experts in diabetes and patient care said that weight loss benifits and the overall benifits of Metformin extend beyond the lac phe molecules.
“Metformin is an amazing drug” said Aimee Josse , CDCE, virtual diabetes educator at Diabetes Care Nurse who was not involved in the new study. Jose has supported people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years and has lived with type 1 diabetes for 42 years.
“taken multiple times a day Metformin has been around forever ” Josse told to the media. She has worked with thousands of type 2 diabetic patients throughout her career , seeing the impact of Metformin in first hand.
” it is one of the most safest, affordable and effective medication out there, and still it is standard of care with people who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. That’s never going to change ” she said.
“We already know that the hardest working aspect of Metformin is how it reduces the overproduction of glucose in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes ” Josse said.
The excessive production of glucose leads to increased blood glucose level and an increased need of insulin . The insulin then stores that excess glucose as body fat, making it more difficult to manage or to lose weight.
“All providers are aware that Metformin leads to a small amount of weight loss but it is not a drug for weight loss, it’s a positive side effect of the drug.” added Josse. “That being said , the standard weight loss recommendation for anyone living with diabetes or obesity is 7 to 10 percent of your body weight , which means Metformin can certainly help you get there when it’s combined with certain lifestyle habits.”
