It helps improve your blood glucose levels in a few different ways. First, it makes your body more sensitive to insulin. This helps your cells use glucose in your blood for energy.
Another study found that the genes associated with metformin production were expressed big time in FM – suggesting a close connection between the two. They proposed that “metformin may regulate the axis of inflammation to improve pain, fatigue, and other symptoms in patients with FM”.
Metformin is a drug that has been used for decades to treat type 2 diabetes. However, recent research has revealed that this medication may have a host of other uses as well. One of the most exciting areas of research for metformin is its potential to extend lifespan and reduce the risk of age-related diseases.
Thus, it is hypothesized that the administration of metformin promotes the reduction of body fat amount via the acceleration of fat oxidation and adaptive thermogenesis in vivo.
Metformin is a common prescription drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. It can help lower blood sugar and HbA1c levels and is used to help manage weight. It's best to avoid saturated fats, excess alcohol consumption, too much sodium, refined carbohydrates, and processed and added sugars while taking it.
Metformin can lead to modest weight loss. It can help people with diabetes lose an average of 4 lbs to 6 lbs, but results vary.
Metformin may also reduce weight by decreasing the amount of visceral fat in the liver and muscle tissue. Visceral fat is stored within the abdominal cavity, which contains several internal organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines.
One long term study published in 2019 found that 28.5% of those taking metformin lost about 5% or less of their body weight during the first year. And those who lost weight on metformin during the first year had the greatest success with weight loss during years 6-15 (15).
Someone who is nondiabetic might notice decreases in inflammation, anti-aging benefits, and some weight loss, says Acebedo.
Metformin is often the first line of treatment for the management of type 2 diabetes. But emerging research shows it may improve some signs of aging. Research is ongoing to understand how exactly metformin influences aging to extend lifespan and improve healthspan.
More Research Is Needed to Confirm Metformin's Anti-Aging Benefits. Based on the data that is currently available, it's very difficult to separate the beneficial effects of metformin in reducing type 2 diabetes from all the other health benefits, including anti-aging, says Triggle.
If you don't have type 2 diabetes, your doctor may sign off on this drug if you have obesity and are struggling to lose weight. But again, metformin isn't a substitute for healthy eating and regular exercise, which are keys to sustainable weight loss.
Many people begin to feel relief from these symptoms within a few weeks of starting metformin. Starting at a lower dose and raising it slowly helps limit these symptoms. And remembering to take metformin with food, preferably the largest meal of the day, should also help.
Many of these mild symptoms are associated with taking the medicine for the first time. Common metformin side effects include diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, stomach pain, dizziness, headache and taste disturbance. However, these side effects generally go away after you take the medication for a while.
Metformin works by helping to restore the body's response to insulin. It decreases the amount of blood sugar that the liver produces and that the intestines or stomach absorb.
While metformin is a more common first-choice medication for Type 2 diabetes, weight loss is more likely with Ozempic. Ozempic can also lower your risk of heart attack and stroke if you have diabetes and heart disease. And it has been shown to have potential benefits for the kidneys.
Metformin does not instantly reduce blood sugar levels. The effects are usually noticeable within 48 hours of taking the medication, and the most significant effects take 4–5 days to occur. However, the timing depends on the person's dosage.
Metformin, an oral type 2 diabetes medicine, may lead to a modest weight loss and does not usually lead to significant, if any, weight gain. In various clinical studies, when metformin was used alone, it led to a weight loss of 0.7 to 3.8 kg (1.5 to 8.4 lbs) in patients.
Because metformin is not a weight loss medication, there is no specific dose for weight loss. People with type 2 diabetes typically start taking metformin 500 mg twice daily. If this dose doesn't help control blood sugar, your health provider may increase the dose to a maximum of 2550 mg daily.
Metformin dosage for weight loss
Divided doses should be taken with meals, typically twice per day (for example, with breakfast and dinner). The maximum dose is 2550 mg/day.
At 8 months, the 1500-mg group showed a mean reduction of 2.5 kg (mean BMI, 36.8–37.9 kg/m2), whereas the 2550-mg group lost a mean of 3.7 kg (mean BMI, 34.5–36.3 kg/m2). The absolute weight lost did not differ between the dose groups (P = 0.35).
Simple and refined carbs: Metformin helps the body reduce blood sugar, but it doesn't work effectively if you eat a lot of foods that make blood glucose levels spike. Refined or processed carbs have little fiber and can rapidly increase blood sugar levels.