What You Need to Know About a Particular Diabetic Medication and Weight Loss

If you do a search metformin and weight loss on the internet you will find confusing forums and websites about this medicine and how it can be used to melt fat from your body. You'll also find many individual forum posts stating that they have been using it for weeks, but they never lost a pound.

Can you lose weight with metformin? It can actually help you lose weight, but it must be part of a complete program. Let's go into more detail.

What is Metformin?

Metformin is a drug (under the trade name Glucophage, but there is also a generic version) used to treat type II diabetes. Initially it was never intended to be a dietary supplement. But interestingly, the quality of this diabetes-assisted drug may help you in your quest to lose weight.

How does Metformin work?

There is a process in your body, in your heart, that converts carbohydrates into blood sugar (or glucose). When you eat too many grams of carbohydrates, especially simple or refined carbohydrates (processed flour, sugar, etc.), the liver produces high glucose. When your glucose level rises above a certain point, your body releases insulin to help regulate blood sugar.

Insulin causes the body to "suck" glucose and store it in fat cells throughout your body. This is what causes a person to lose weight and become fat. And this process over and over again for many years is what causes the body to become insulin resistant.

That's where metformin comes in. In patients with type II diabetes, whose body produces about three times the normal glucose level, this drug reduces glucose production by more than one-third. Metformin reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver, thus reducing the insulin needed to stabilize blood sugar.

It may not have a dramatic effect on individuals without type II diabetes, but it still reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver, even in pre-diabetic individuals. This means (whether or not you have diabetes) if you are overweight, metformin can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of diabetes.

Does It Really Work Weight Loss?

Keep in mind that metformin is not a miracle diet pill. The relationship between metformin and weight loss consists of more than just taking "magical pills". Also, more research needs to be done on metformin and weight loss. However, there are examples of anecdotes (personal experiences) available for you to read if you are serious about doing research.

Many argue that this drug has helped them lose weight proving that they use metformin as part of their weight loss program. One step to note is that metformin in combination with a very strict diet can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It is certainly recommended that a competent doctor be referred to before making metformin as part of your weight loss program.

Based on the simple logic of how this drug affects the human body, there may be a very beneficial relationship between metformin and weight loss.

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