A cheap diabetes pill has become the latest craze among tech moguls who claim it can reverse aging and melt away body fat.
Metformin – the world’s most common treatment for type 2 diabetes – has gained popularity in recent years with the likes of Ariel Poler, a savvy biotech angel investor, and Jim Mellon, a British entrepreneur and co-founder of biotech company Juvenescence.
Studies show that the C20 pill promotes weight loss, while preliminary studies in mouse models suggest that the drug may improve life and health.
Metformin has been somewhat eclipsed in recent months by other more powerful weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic. But these drugs can cost more than $1,000 a month, require frequent injections and currently face nationwide shortages.
Metformin is the gold standard for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, but it is increasingly being used off-label to improve longevity and promote weight loss
Tech mogul Bryan Johnson, who uses dozens of supplements every day, including metformin, has changed significantly since starting his multi-million dollar wellness journey in 2017 (pictured left).
Metformin’s low price, widespread availability, and the fact that metformin has become a popular weight loss and longevity enhancer. It has also proven popular with tech industry leaders, including venture capitalist Robert Nelsen and wealthy software entrepreneur Bryan Johnson.
Mr. Johnson, a well-known biohacker, recently made headlines with the news that he is spending about $2 million a year on a team of more than 30 doctors and medical experts trying to reshape his body into that of an 18-year-old.
Mr Johnson said he was taking metformin to prevent colon polyps.
Its popularity has recently skyrocketed for another promising property: it can reduce your chances of contracting pulmonary COVID by more than 40 percent.
Metformin has been touted as a weight loss drug for years with thousands of mentions and followers on Instagram and Tik Tok, although it is not as effective as the breakthrough obesity treatment, Wegovy.
For all its benefits for diabetics and those looking to shed stubborn pounds, it has one side effect that many users suffer from: explosive diarrhea.
Metformin, commonly used to treat prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, is generally so effective and affordable that the World Health Organization considers it a “must have” drug for pharmacies worldwide. But it is often used off-label for weight loss.
The mechanism by which metformin causes weight loss is unclear, but doctors have several theories.
Because it reduces how much glucose circulates in the blood, it can reduce how much excess glucose is stored as fat. It has also been shown to reduce hunger signals which suppress appetite and therefore can lead to weight loss.
It lowers plasma glucose and has been shown to increase levels of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1).
GLP-1 affects parts of the brain that regulate appetite and reward. A weaker appetite often leads to lower calorie intake, which can lead to weight loss.
GLP-1 is also thought to increase the body’s sensitivity to leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that plays a role in regulating body weight.
While metformin can help shed pounds, scientific evidence shows that the reward is small.
In fact, the average number of pounds lost is about five. A comprehensive study of pre-diabetics conducted by the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in 2012 reported that those randomly assigned to take metformin lost an average of just 4.6 pounds.
Meanwhile, another study published in 2013 found that the drug could improve both health and longevity in mice.
The main side effect of the drug is diarrhea. Many users report that their everyday life has been significantly affected.
Up to a quarter of all diabetic metformin users suffer from severe digestive problems, around five percent cannot tolerate metformin at all.
READ MORE: Scientists Warn Of Potentially Deadly Side Effects Of Celebrity Favorite Weight Loss Tool
Researchers in China believe popular weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic can cause enlargement of a person’s small intestine, putting them at high risk of a potentially fatal blockage in their digestive system.
While some patients experience severe attacks when they first use the drug and may then try an extended-release formula or a low-carbohydrate diet, many patients who take the drug can go years without these side effects.
In 2016, an 80-year-old man who had been treating his type 2 diabetes for five years went to his doctor complaining of an eight-month history of chronic painless diarrhea with six to eight explosive loose stools per day. Although metformin helped him lose 10 pounds, the side effects were debilitating.
The man’s medical team had recently increased his dose of metformin and although he had tolerated these higher doses in the past, he could no longer do so.
Doctors in Ontario, Canada, who presented the case study, said: “Since there was no other cause of diarrhea, he was asked to try to come off the metformin and this resulted in an immediate complete resolution of the diarrhoea, he described it as “a faucet being turned off”.
“He is currently off metformin, his weight loss has stabilized and he has not had diarrhea again.”
Metformin is an overwhelmingly safe drug. Still, the FDA has a black box warning indicating that it can contribute to a condition called lactic acidosis, in which excess lactic acid builds up in the blood. The condition can be fatal.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
