Diabetes Drugs for Weight Loss? (Bad Idea)

Dr. Shawn Talbott (Ph.D., CNS, LDN, FACSM, FACN, FAIS) has gone from triathlon struggler to gut-brain guru! With a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry, he's on a mission to boost everyday human performance through the power of natural solutions and the gut-brain axis.

Last night, I watched a segment on CBS Evening News about the class of drugs known as “GLP-1 agonists” used to treat diabetes and obesity. The drugs can certainly be effective for people who are severely diabetic (by lowering blood sugar) or obese (by increasing fullness/satiety and suppressing appetite) – but they are absolutely not for anyone who is looking to los a few pounds.

These drugs come with a long list of severe and adverse side effects, including:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Bloating 
  • Indigestion 
  • Acid reflux
  • Gastroparesis
  • Pancreatitis
  • Thyroid Cancer

Despite these side effects, and as I’ve written about before, a lot of “celebrities” are touting these drugs for cosmetic weight loss (not a great trade off for the side effects).

What if there was a way to increase your body’s own production of GLP-1 naturally – without the drug-induced side effects?

Well, there is – by using specific strains of probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus planetarium DR7 and Bifidobacterium lactis BPL-1

Each of these strains has been shown to modulate targeted aspects of metabolism related to blood sugar balance and fat storage/release (including belly fat reduction) – and they also help with satiety/fullness, inflammation, dopamine (for motivation), cortisol (for stress), and even skin tone (for beauty).

This almost sounds too good to be true – but the new science of the microbiome is showing us again and again – that if we can harness the power of the microbiome with specific strains of bacteria, we can improve numerous aspects of mental wellness and physical health – including helping people lose weight naturally.

About the Author

Exercise physiologist (MS, UMass Amherst) and Nutritional Biochemist (PhD, Rutgers) who studies how lifestyle influences our biochemistry, psychology and behavior - which kind of makes me a "Psycho-Nutritionist"?!?!

  • Government and big Pharma are only looking for one thing and one thing only: The increase of money in their pockets. To mention that the decrease of diabetic people is harming their sales is absolutely alarming to “good doctors”, mainly natural practitioners. Unfortunately, a very big percentage of people will take any drugs in believing that it will help their health not knowing how detrimental they are to their physical and mental well-being. Pity!

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