Semaglutide Peptide: Insulin Resistance Supplements for Weight Loss
Weight loss is a long and gruelling process. In some cases, exercise and physical fitness isn’t as effective as hoped in helping people lose weight and achieve their fitness goals. Fortunately, a recently approved supplement has been showing positive progress towards becoming an effective option for weight loss.
Semaglutide peptide (warning: fancy science words) is a part of a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists. To simplify that into a normal definition, you can think of it as a supplement that leads to greater insulin production when your blood sugar levels rise, so that after you eat, sugars are broken down at a greater rate, ultimately limiting weight gain.
In this article, we’ll discuss what semaglutide is, how it leads to weight loss, and why you should or shouldn’t use it based on important factors that need to be considered before looking into taking this substance as a weight loss supplement.
Semaglutide’s structural formula (you don’t need to understand this)
What is it?
Function
As previously mentioned, semaglutide peptide is a part of a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, which lead to greater insulin production when your blood sugar levels rise, so that after you eat, sugars are broken down at a greater rate, ultimately limiting weight gain. It also interacts with your brain to make you feel full and deprives your appetite.
Approval
Originally used a drug to limit the effects of type 2 diabetes, semaglutide was approved as a weight loss supplement by the FDA in 2021. Since then, it’s been included in a number of studies (we’ll look through and link to one later in the article), proving its impactful nature in stimulating significant decreases in body weight.
Past Usage
Semaglutide is a safe supplement (with exception to those with some medical conditions that we’ll discuss later), which has a variety of uses. It’s been used to treat patients with cardiovascular disorders, as well as diabetic COVID 19 victims, having greatly beneficial effects on those struggling with various different health complications.
How does it work?
Greater Insulin Production
Insulin promotes the breakdown (metabolism) of sugar in the bloodstream in response to rises in your blood sugar, indirectly leading to weight loss by minimizing weight gain.
Insulin resistance occurs when your body stops responding to insulin, and it becomes virtually ineffective. We’ll discuss how reductions in insulin resistance lead to weight loss very soon
Brain Interaction
GLP-1 (the class of medication semaglutide peptide belongs to) interacts with your brain, making you feel full to limit your appetite and desire to eat.
This, in combination with its stimulation of insulin production, is what makes semaglutide peptide effective in leading to weight loss
A study on this topic
We’ll quote a study that supports semaglutide as a potentially useful weight loss tool in fantastic detail. This is from Endocrinology Advisor, a subsidiary of the Haymarket Medical Network based in New York which offers clinical content on 20 different medical fields.
Across multiple trial groups, “semaglutide significantly reduced bodyweight versus comparators. Significantly greater reductions in insulin resistance were observed with 0.5 mg semaglutide” “and 1.0 mg semaglutide vs comparators,” “with greater body weight reductions being generally associated with greater insulin resistance decreases.”
Despite the evidence supporting semaglutide’s role in weight loss, the study did comment on its recommendation for further investigation and repetition of these experiments to fully affirm the effectiveness of semaglutide peptide.
Click here to view the full article on Endocrinology Advisor
Why you should or shouldn’t buy it
Despite its role as a weight loss utility, there are a number of considerations you should make before looking into purchasing semaglutide peptide. Let’s go through them now.
Weight Criteria
The FDA only suggests the consumption of semaglutide for those of maintaining:
A BMI of 27 or greater and one obesity condition, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or some sort of musculoskeletal issue
A BMI of 30 or greater for those without any sort of condition
Medical Conditions
You shouldn’t be taking semaglutide peptide if you’ve ever been diagnosed with
Medulla thyroid cancer
Gallbladder dysfunction
Pancreatitis
MEN2
Side Effects
Fatigue
Dizziness
Gastrointestinal complications
Headaches
Make sure you’re aware of these things before investing in semaglutide peptide (Source).
To Conclude
Semaglutide peptide is making great progression towards being one of the best weight loss supplements out there. Despite it being a safe option for those suffering from obesity, it’s generally not recommended to those apart of the demographics mentioned in the why section of this article. We hope we’ve provided you with the information you were looking for regarding semaglutide peptide. Best of luck in your future fitness endeavours!
Citations
Mahapatra, M.K., Karuppasamy, M. and Sahoo, B.M. (2022). Semaglutide, a glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist with cardiovascular benefits for management of type 2 diabetes. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders, [online] 23(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-021-09699-1.
UCLA Health (2023). Semaglutide for weight loss - what you need to know. [online] www.uclahealth.org. Available at: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/semaglutide-weight-loss-what-you-need-know.
Writer, E.A.C. (2019). Improvements in Insulin Resistance With Semaglutide Primarily a Result of Weight Loss. [online] Endocrinology Advisor. Available at: https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes/improvements-in-insulin-resistance-with-semaglutide-primarily-a-result-of-weight-loss/#:~:text=Treatment%20with%20semaglutide%2C%20a%20once [Accessed 2 Mar. 2024].