Metformin (Glucophage) for Weight Loss

Metformin (Glucophage) for Weight Loss

Metformin (Glucophage) is a diabetes treatment but recent studies have shown it can also be helpful to non diabetics to lose weight by reducing hunger. You might be carrying a few extra pounds because your body is producing too much insulin, especially if you are carrying those pounds around your stomach. The old spare tire or love handles is the result.

After we eat sugar goes from our digestive tract, the intestines to the blood and into the liver. The liver releases sugar into the blood stream causing our levels to raise up and triggering the pancreas to release insulin to combat the high sugar levels. This insulin makes us hungry and signals the liver to convert extra calories to Fat. Glucophage reduces sugar release form the liver and prevents blood sugar from rising too high so our body does not produce insulin. As such it lowers insulin levels; however be very cautions as the presence of lactic acid (which exercise creates) which makes your blood acidic, and in turn counters the effectiveness of Glucophage. MOST exercise programs do not raise up the lactic acid enough to affect Glucophage. Glucophage has shown to be effective to help women lose weight who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome which causes high blood levels of insulin.

A common usage of Glucophage is 500 mg prior to eating at each meal NOT after the meals. If you experience diarrhea or nausea then lower your dose in half and take in the middle of the meal and work your way up to a full dose prior to eating.