Semaglutide: the Good, the Bad, and the Bottom Line: Part 1

At this point, almost EVERYONE has heard of Semaglutide being used as a helpful weight loss medication. Millions of Americans have tried it, which means we have no shortage of personal experiences shared by users online. Some have great success using Semaglutide as the mainstay of their weight loss plan, while others have written it off as an over-hyped, "too good to be true" medication with too many side effects to tolerate. In the next few blog posts, let's delve into how semaglutide works for weight loss, the pros and cons of using Semaglutide for weight loss and weight maintenance, and how to be successful on weight loss medications like Semaglutide.

Let's begin with the benefits:

Marketed under different brand names (like Ozempic and Wegovy), semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Semaglutide works primarily by slowing gastric emptying, which means all food consumed while taking semaglutide moves through the GI tract much slower than usual. Because GI motility is affected, most of the side effects are GI related (stay tuned for next week's post for detailed info on side effects!). With food moving much slower through the body, and spending more time in the stomach, patients feel full for much longer. When we feel full, we eat less. It's as simple as that . . .

. . . sort of. Another mechanism of action of GLP-1s is the affect on hormone secretion. GLP-1 peptides are a type of Incretin hormone. Incretin hormones make us feel full, satisfied, and not hungry. The release of these hormones are usually stimulated by our bodies ingesting food. When we take GLP-1s like Semaglutide, the body releases Incretin hormones (that make us feel full), even without ingesting food. This is how Semaglutide directly affects appetite. Patients with diabetes and excess weight appreciate these medications because GLP-1s help them take in fewer calories daily, which leads to weight control, fat loss, and blood sugar control.

There are also cardiovascular benefits to taking GLP-1s like Semaglutide. Thanks to recent clinical trials, the Semaglutide medication called "Wegovy" was recently approved by the FDA for cardiovascular disease prevention in patients with overweight or obesity. Over half of America's population struggles with overweight or obesity. Wegovy is the FIRST weight loss medication approved to help prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events in these patients, so this is an enormous accomplishment from a public health perspective as well.

GLP-1s like Semaglutide are currently being studied even more for their anti-inflammatory properties, as well as for craving control capabilities. We may see these medications used more and more for slowing disease progression and even for addiction medicine in the future.

If you are seeking quick and effective weight loss strategies but don't quite know where to begin, reach out to FreshRx for a free consultation!