Metformin is a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar, improves your metabolism, and may help you lose weight.
However, it can also cause side effects such as upset stomach, diarrhea, and muscle aches. Your doctor should prescribe this medication based on your medical condition, response to treatment, and other drugs you are taking.
Lowers your blood sugar
If you’re struggling with weight, metformin is a drug that may help you lose some of it. The medication lowers your blood sugar and improves your ability to burn stored fats.
If paired with diet and lifestyle changes, metformin can lead to significant weight loss. But it isn’t a quick fix to your weight problem, so it will require consistent effort over time.
Your doctor will prescribe the amount of metformin that’s right for you. The dosage is based on your medical condition, response to treatment and other medications you may be taking.
Medications like metformin can also help to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. This is because high blood sugar damages your blood vessels, increasing your risk of heart problems and other health issues.
However, you should take metformin with caution if you have kidney disease or are 80 years old or older. These conditions may cause the medication to interact with other drugs, which could increase your risk of side effects.
You should also avoid using this medication if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, as it can increase your baby’s chance of developing diabetes. If you’re diabetic, you should check your blood sugar regularly as directed by your doctor.
People with prediabetes can often delay the onset of diabetes or prevent it altogether by starting metformin treatment early on. This may help to reduce the long-term cost of caring for your diabetes and help you manage it better.
The FDA has approved metformin as a first-line treatment for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. It is also used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and can help control blood sugar in pregnant women with gestational diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Metformin also helps to suppress your appetite, making it easier to eat less without feeling hungry. One study found that women on the highest dosage of metformin (a 1,700-mg pill three times per day) felt significantly less hunger before and after meals than other groups in the study.
Increases your metabolism
Metformin is an oral medication that’s usually used to treat people with diabetes or prediabetes, but it may also help some people lose weight. It’s often prescribed off-label for several other purposes, such as gestational diabetes (diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Studies have shown that people taking metformin can lose about 5% of their body weight in a year. This is a small amount, but it could help some people reach their health goals.
One study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that people who lost weight on metformin were more likely to keep it off than people who made diet and exercise changes. In fact, the people in the metformin group kept off more than half of their weight for 14 years after they stopped taking the drug.
The researchers think that the way metformin helps with weight loss is through its effect on the bacteria in your gut. It can increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, which improve your gut permeability, which can lead to better blood sugar balance.
In addition, it can decrease the amount of Firmicutes bacteria in your gut, which are linked to insulin resistance and obesity. It can also increase the amount of short-chain fatty acids in your gut, which are important for a healthy immune system.
It can also make you less hungry, which may help you eat fewer calories. This can make it easier to stick with a diet that’s low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Another possible effect of metformin on weight loss is its effect on the brain’s appetite centers. It can lower the levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and it can increase the levels of the hormone leptin, which makes you feel full.
Finally, it can reduce your levels of insulin, which is important for metabolizing sugar and keeping you healthy. It also lowers your blood sugar level, which can protect you from diabetes-related conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
Suppresses your appetite
Metformin is a type of drug that’s commonly prescribed to help people with diabetes lose weight. The drug works by lowering blood sugar and increasing insulin sensitivity, which helps the body use the glucose it takes in more efficiently.
In some studies, metformin has also been shown to reduce appetite (Yerevanian, 2019). However, the exact reason for this effect is still unknown.
It may work by suppressing hunger signals, which can make people feel full sooner and eat less. Another theory is that the medication can improve the health of gut flora, which are the bacteria that live in your digestive tract.
Several studies have also shown that the medicine can decrease the amount of fat in the body, which is good news for those looking to lose some pounds. In one study, for example, participants in a diabetes prevention program who were randomly assigned to take either 850 mg or 1,700 mg of metformin each day lost an average of 4.6 pounds over the course of 12 weeks.
But losing weight with metformin isn’t a silver bullet, and it can’t replace diet and exercise. And if you’re taking other drugs, it might affect their effects on your blood sugar levels as well.
If you’re taking metformin and are concerned about your weight, talk to your doctor. He or she can recommend a weight loss plan for you and give you advice on how to manage your diabetes.
When taking metformin, you should try to eat regular meals and avoid snacks between meals. It can also help to drink plenty of water.
The medicine can cause some side effects, including stomach pain, constipation, and a metallic taste in your mouth. If you experience these, speak to your doctor and ask for a test for Vitamin B12.
Some of these side effects can be severe, so it’s best to seek medical attention immediately. You can have a blood test to find out if you have low or high levels of this vitamin, which can lead to problems with your red blood cells and nerves.
Increases your sensitivity to insulin
Metformin improves your sensitivity to insulin by causing your liver to produce less glucose, which means that you absorb less of the sugar in your food. It also slows the absorption of sugar in your intestines, which is another way it reduces blood sugar levels.
It may help with weight loss as well, although more research is needed to prove that this is the case. However, it is known that people who take metformin often lose weight as a result of the changes they make to their diet and lifestyle.
Researchers have found that a low dose of metformin (100 mg twice a day) can increase your sensitivity to insulin and decrease the amount of insulin in your body. This helps you keep your blood sugar under control, which is good for your health and can even improve your aging process!
Other studies have shown that metformin can reduce your hunger, helping you to eat less. In one study of women with type 2 diabetes who did not use insulin, those who took a high dose of metformin (1,700 mg three times a day) had significantly less hunger both before and after meals than the other two groups.
In some people, metformin can reduce your appetite by stimulating the production of GLP-1, a hormone that can reduce hunger and increase satiety. It can also increase the amount of short-chain fatty acids, which are a protective substance in your gut that helps keep you full longer and lowers your appetite.
While most of the studies on this have been done with people with type 2 diabetes, some scientists believe that it may also work for some people without diabetes who are overweight. This is because it can improve your insulin and glucose balance, which can also affect your weight.
If you are overweight, it is a good idea to ask your doctor about starting metformin. Your doctor will explain how to take the medication and how much to take.
You should not take metformin if you have severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can cause a buildup of lactic acid, which is dangerous and can be fatal.