Dear friends, greetings!
Today we continue the conversation about weight correction.
Last time we talked about why people get fat, where the fats and carbohydrates from food go, what questions should be asked to a buyer who wants to quickly lose those hated kilograms, and what advice should be given to him.
But this was only an overture to today's conversation.
Do you want to know how to lose weight correctly?
Do you want to figure out how to lose weight using pharmaceutical products?
Do you want to know what weight loss complexes can be offered to the buyer?
Want to choose it for yourself?
Would you like to receive an algorithm for selecting such a complex for a buyer?
If your answers are “yes, yes, yes!”, then sit back and listen.
The conversation will be long. The topic is oh-ho!
And again, my friend and colleague Anton Zatrutin will help us figure this out.
He sorted everything out so well that I now know exactly the answers to the questions: “why do all these means produce zero results?” and “what should I buy for myself?” Soon you will find out too.
- Anton, you have the floor!
- Thank you, Marina!
As you well know, the group of weight correction products includes medications and dietary supplements.
Let's look at representatives of both.
Let's start with medications.
How to lose weight with medications?
There are only two approaches to weight correction, and therefore two classes of drugs.
Centrally acting drugs
The first class is called “anorexigenic drugs,” or centrally acting drugs.
Their story begins with the discovery of the psychostimulant phenamine (amphetamine), with the use of which it was noticed that people who were prescribed phenamine eat less and lose a lot of weight.
This is how the ancestor of this class, amphepramone, was discovered. The drug inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine at the synapse, resulting in their accumulation, which imitates the effect of saturation. In its structure and properties it is very similar to its predecessor - phenamine.
The drug has a number of “buts”:
- Causes euphoria, aggression;
- It develops addiction and dependence, first psychological and then physical;
- Strongly affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- May provoke attacks of epilepsy, psychosis;
- Causes insomnia.
Therefore, today amphepramone is prescribed infrequently. The use of the drug is possible only under the supervision of a physician, and the duration of use is limited in time.
But there are a number of drugs that have amphetamine-like effects. They suppress the hunger center and activate the satiety center.
Unlike amphetamine, these drugs lack peripheral action. They have less effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, but just like it, they have a stimulating effect and provoke the development of depression, psychosis, and pulmonary hypertension.
Just like amphetamine, their circulation is prohibited or severely limited.
These include fenfluramine, sibutramine. The circulation of fenfluramine in the Russian Federation is prohibited, but we’ll talk about the latter separately.
Sibutramine is available in pure form ( GOLDLINE, LINDAXA, MERIDIA) and mixed with Microcrystalline cellulose ( REDUXIN ). Today in Russia the circulation of free sibutramine is limited. In particular, the once sensational Meridia has been discontinued.
But combination drugs were not subject to restrictions, so let’s take a closer look at them.
So, Reduxin.
The active ingredient of Reduxin, sibutramine, acts as follows: it penetrates the central nervous system, disrupts the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin, which leads to their accumulation in the central nervous system, activation of the satiety center, and suppression of hunger.
By disrupting the reuptake of norepinephrine, the drug promotes the activation of β3-adrenergic receptors, which are located in adipose tissue, thus activating lipolysis (the breakdown of fat). Plus, it reduces the content of all lipoproteins and uric acid.
The action of the second component - microcrystalline cellulose - is based on the fact that it has the ability to swell in the gastrointestinal tract. This causes a feeling of fullness.
type II diabetes
Take once a day, in the morning, before meals, with plenty of liquid. Dosage 10 mg, if ineffective - 15 mg.
Contraindicated for the treatment of obesity associated with any organic disorders (for example, hypothyroidism).
It is contraindicated in patients with mental disorders, chronic heart failure, arterial hypertension, thyrotoxicosis, and diseases accompanied by prostate enlargement. It should also not be taken by persons under 18 or over 65, during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or drug or alcohol addiction.
Often provokes insomnia, dry mouth, loss of appetite, constipation, exacerbation of hemorrhoids, sweating, increased blood pressure and heart rate.
The combined use of Reduxin and antidepressants, anti-migraine drugs (Relpax, Amigrenin, Sumatriptan) is unacceptable due to the risk of developing serotonin syndrome, which manifests itself as severe intoxication.
The use of the drug requires diet and increased physical activity.
There is another drug that acts on the central nervous system, but does not cause addiction, euphoria and does not have a psychostimulating effect. This drug is called DIETRESSA.
The drug contains affinity-purified antibodies to the type I cannabinoid receptor. It is believed that it is due to the activation of these receptors that a person experiences a feeling of hunger. Antibodies seem to “close” the receptor, making it insensitive.
Due to the fact that the dosage of the active substance is small, then conduct some research to determine whether the tablet contains these antibodies at all, whether they are immunogenic and capable of allergizing the body, and also how they pass through the blood-brain barrier , impossible.
However, the drug is approved for over-the-counter release and is considered safe and well tolerated. It is recommended to take 1 tablet 2-4 times a day half an hour before meals.
Gastrointestinal lipase inhibitors
The next drug acts at the intestinal level, blocking pancreatic lipase. This is Orlistat, known as XENICAL, ORSOTENE, LISTATA . All of these are prescription drugs in a dosage of 120 mg.
But the assortment of pharmacies also includes ORSOTEN SLIM and LISTATA MINI - these are over-the-counter drugs in a dosage of 60 mg.
Orlistat is taken with every meal.
If a meal is skipped or the meal does not contain fat, the drug can be skipped.
Orlistat blocks lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats from food. As a result, they are not absorbed but accumulate in the intestines. They irritate its wall, causing it to contract. Intestinal motility accelerates, and the amount of feces increases.
The effect appears 24-48 hours after the first dose. After taking the last dose, the effect lasts for two days.
The main side effect of the drug is steatorrhea (“fatty” stool), that is, fat literally “flows” from the body. When taking orlistat, it is recommended that fat in food be no more than 30%, otherwise severe diarrhea, bloating and rumbling are guaranteed.
It is optimal to combine these medications with physical activity, but they are also effective in the absence of physical activity, as they reduce the calorie content of food consumed. Therefore, we can recommend them to everyone who asks for means to lose excess weight.
They are contraindicated in cases of intestinal obstruction or severe malabsorption syndrome (the person suffers from severe diarrhea).
Warn the buyer that when taking the drug simultaneously with fatty foods, the side effects mentioned above are possible.
The drugs ORSOTEN SLIM and LISTATA MINI have a laxative effect to a lesser extent than the original orlistat, and therefore are easier to tolerate.
You need to take 1 capsule with each meal.
This concludes our conversation about weight loss medications. Next we will talk about remedies that are not medicines, i.e. about dietary supplements.
Types of fat blockers
There are two main types of these drugs, which differ in the origin of the active substance and the mechanism of action:
- Preparations containing chitosan;
- Preparations based on orlistat;
Chitosan
Many fat blocker drugs contain chitosan. This is a substance obtained from chitin and crustacean shells. Chitosan is a polysaccharide, or long chains of sugars, and has the ability to pass through the digestive tract without being digested, along the way absorbing 6-10 times its own weight in fat. One Harvard Medical School report on the effects of chitosan argued that the substance should form a gel around fat droplets in the intestines, protecting them from enzyme attack.
Thus, chitosan increases the amount of fat that is excreted from the body along with excrement. However, according to the author of the work, chitosan did not do this. However, according to animal studies, chitosan in large quantities inhibits the action of pancreatic lipase.
Unfortunately, during the study, experimental rats were given such an amount of the drug that, with a proportional increase in dosage according to the person’s weight, could not be taken by the patient. Therefore, when experimental people were involved in the experiment, the effect of the drug turned out to be ineffective. In other studies, the effect was so minimal that it amounted to about 0.5 kg in more than six months.
The use of chitosan raises a number of questions. Manufacturers of drugs and dietary supplements containing this component claim that chitosan also has a number of other properties that help combat lipid absorption, but there have been no large or credible studies on this issue. Critics attribute this to the fact that it is not profitable for pharmaceutical and food companies to take risks (after all, independent results may not be in their favor). So it is not possible to speak with confidence about the mechanism of action of chitosan.
How to lose weight with the help of dietary supplements?
Globally, all dietary supplements for weight correction can be divided into three large groups:
- Products that imitate the feeling of satiety due to the indigestible dietary fiber they contain.
- Means that correct carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
- Drugs that have laxative and diuretic effects.
Let's look at each of these groups.
Means that imitate the feeling of satiety
The first group includes dietary supplements such as Fitomucil, MCC, Glucerna SR, Obegrass .
These products are based on indigestible dietary fiber, which has the ability to swell in the gastrointestinal tract. This creates a feeling of fullness, which reduces the amount of food eaten.
It is not recommended to use them for people suffering from constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
When selling them, warn the buyer that when taking them, you need to drink a lot of liquid: 2-2.5 liters per day.
(M.K.: And I would also ask, “Is this suitable for you?” Because I, for example, would never drink that much. I don’t like it. Well, ordinary water doesn’t fit into me!)
Means – correctors of fat and carbohydrate metabolism
The second group primarily includes dietary supplements based on L-carnitine, in particular Carniton .
Pharmacies also offer medications based on L-carnitine, but they are indicated for the treatment of other conditions, so we will not consider them in detail.
The bottom line is that L-carnitine binds to fatty acid and transfers it to the mitochondria, the energy station of the cell, where it is oxidized to produce energy and water. But it is important to remember that during physical activity, the body first uses carbohydrate reserves (glycogen in the liver), and only then uses fat reserves.
Therefore, it is advisable to recommend such products to people who regularly undergo long-term physical activity lasting at least 40 minutes (it is for this time that, on average, glycogen reserves in the liver are sufficient).
There are dietary supplements that contain, in addition to L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid (for example, Turboslim alpha-lipoic acid ).
This acid has a normalizing effect on carbohydrate metabolism, as a result of which the sensitivity of one’s own cells to insulin increases and the level of glucose in the blood decreases.
This group also includes Reduxin-light and Reduxin-light enhanced formula.
They contain conjugated linoleic acid, which activates intracellular lipase, which breaks down fats, reduces the transport of fatty acids into fat cells, promotes an increase in muscle mass, and slows down the process of accumulation of new fat. As a result, the volume of the waist, hips, and abdomen decreases.
The supplement Reduxin Light enhanced formula also includes the amino acid hydroxytryptophan, which is necessary for the production of serotonin, the hormone of joy. Serotonin reduces appetite and accelerates satiety.
It also contains yam extract, which burns old fat reserves, improves cholesterol removal, and increases muscle elasticity.
Reduxin Light enhanced formula is especially indicated for those who find it difficult to control their appetite.
Due to the content of conjugated linoleic acid, these dietary supplements are especially good for those who lead an active lifestyle and play sports.
Another popular representative of dietary supplements today is Green Coffee.
It contains chlorogenic acid (in “raw form” - about 10%, in tablets - up to 50%). It activates metabolism, improves microcirculation, reduces the level of insulin in the blood (one of the main culprits in the appearance of fat deposits), and reduces the absorption of fats in the intestines.
In addition, green coffee contains caffeine, which is a psychostimulant and has some suppressant effect on appetite.
But: Green coffee is contraindicated for diabetics, people suffering from hypertension, pregnant and lactating women.
Drugs that have laxative and diuretic effects
The fastest effect is provided by dietary supplements that have a diuretic, choleretic and laxative effect.
This includes most of the dietary supplements in the Turboslim , a variety of teas, coffee such as Flying Swallow , Pohudin .
Their main disadvantage is that they cause dehydration.
After using such supplements, fat becomes like a dry sponge, weighs less, but when water enters the body, everything will return to normal.
The second feature is that the packaging indicates that they can be taken for a long time. However, think about how good it is for the body to be dehydrated for a long time?
These products sell very well, since many of them are extremely attractive in price and can quickly remove a kilo or two.
When selling them, tell the buyer that these dietary supplements do not change the volume of fat accumulation and do not affect it, but only “dry” the body.
Also remember to warn that prolonged use may have harmful effects on human health.
We're done with the analysis.
What we are treated with: Orlistat. Fats we remove
People with type 2 diabetes can also lose a statistically significant amount of kilograms (2–5, according to another review) in a year. But, you must admit, this figure is still not impressive.
Indicator.Ru recommends: it is better to combine with a diet (or replace it)
There are many scientific reasons for Orlistat, and its effect has been tested in large populations of people. Most likely, it is also relatively safe, although manufacturers have been accused of hiding data on side effects. However, if you use the drug even for a whole year, but do not change your diet and lifestyle, you may not notice this effect, even if it is proven. Alas, although these numbers are not a lie, a blatant lie, they are still more statistics than truth. Let’s say you weigh 90–100 kg, consider this figure to be far from the personal and medical norm, and dream of losing weight without effort. But in this case, 3–4 kg per year (!) is hardly the limit of your dreams. But this is exactly how much the effect of the drug adds to a low-calorie diet.
And here the question arises: is such a medicine necessary at all, or is it easier to get by by reducing the caloric content of the diet? If you want to lose just a couple of kilograms, do you really need to spend a whole year spending so much money on medicine, or is it better to think about a healthier lifestyle? And in the second case, is it necessary to lose weight at all? The cost of capsules is about a thousand rubles for 40 pieces. You can calculate how much three tablets a day will cost you for a year (and preferably for the second year too, if you don’t want to gain some of those kilograms back).
Considering the mechanism of action of the drug and the fact that it does not penetrate the blood in significant quantities, something terrible is unlikely to happen to you due to its fault. However, you need to be alert if you suffer from intestinal problems (poor absorption of nutrients - malabsorption), if your gallbladder, liver or pancreas are not doing their job properly, or if you have blocked or narrowed bile ducts. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the effect of the drug has not been studied, so it is better not to take risks. If you suffer from eating disorders, it is better to treat your disorder rather than worry about aesthetics. It would also be a bad idea to indulge in gluttony and abuse lipids and carbohydrates, thinking that thanks to the medicine you will be invulnerable: the drug prevents the absorption of approximately 30% of fats, and does not block them completely.
Our recommendations cannot be equated with a doctor's prescription. Before you start taking this or that drug, be sure to consult a specialist.
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What determines the success of the fight against excess weight?
- Meals should be fractional, 5-6 times a day in small portions. As nutritionists recommend, the portion should not exceed the volume of cupped palms.
- All of the above mentioned remedies require compliance with a hypocaloric diet.
- Physical activity is required! Products containing linoleic acid and L-carnitine will help you achieve success faster.
And I also want to tell you one important thing.
All drugs that reduce fat stores, and especially block fat absorption, provoke the development of a deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins, so you need to replenish their supply from the outside.
A deficiency of these vitamins can result in dry and flaky skin, brittleness and hair loss. In this regard, recommend a multivitamin complex containing fat-soluble vitamins in combination with weight loss products.
And finally, I offer you an algorithm for selecting weight loss products. To download, click on the image to save it in real size, and then print it.
Thank you, Anton!
Friends, do you now understand why weight loss products often don’t work?
Because in this matter, as in any other matter, an integrated approach is needed.
If a person goes to the gym, it is preferable for him to use only one product.
If he suffers from an insatiable appetite, others.
If he drinks something diuretic-laxative, the effect will be very short-lived and not without harm to health.
In addition, it is always better to act from different flanks: one remedy reduces appetite, another prevents the absorption of fats, and the third drives fluid out of tissues. This means you need at least three products.
Don’t forget that the pharmacy’s assortment includes other products that also contribute to getting rid of excess weight.
For example, the various Floresan series topical products (bright orange packaging): they are inexpensive and praised. Or figure correction creams from the Turboslim series.
Therefore, let's outline a few approximate weight loss complexes. These are ready-made “chatters” for the buyer, which we start like this:
In order to lose weight, you need an integrated approach, since different means act differently, and together they enhance each other’s effects.
And then we begin to name the means of the complex one by one and explain what each of them does.
