Despite the insistence of experts to remember that there are no miracles to lose weightmany people continue to strive to find light weight loss pill. And when we talk about “many people”, we don’t mean scientists, but influencers. It first became trendy on social media Ozempic, a drug for the treatment of diabetes, one of the side effects of which is weight loss. There was such a commotion that in some places there was not even enough of this medicine. There have been campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of taking without diabetes and sales have declined slightly, but tik tak back to charging berberinea natural substance that should have the same effects as Ozempic, but with fewer side effects.
But where did tiktokers get this idea from? Well, it’s true that there are some studies that show that berberine can help you lose weight. However, the most reliable studies have been done in animals, so it’s not clear if they can be used. extrapolate to people. One can only analyze the specific role of this compound in reducing obesity, but only a correlation is found, without explaining what mechanism leads to it.
With all this, it is not a fact that he serves diet pill. Also, unlike Ozempic, berberine carries a risk very easy to purchase. It can be found on platforms like Amazon or almost any herbalist. There it can be purchased as a supplement, so there is no need to list its possible risks. And yes, it is; Well, as we always insist in this environment, just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s completely safe.
From Ozempic to Berberine
Berberine was made viral on tiktok as a replacement for Ozempic. However, as with the anti-diabetic drug, it has never been scientifically proven to serve as a diet pill.
It is a substance that is extracted from plants such as European barberry, goldenseal, golden thread, Oregon grape, philodendron and wood turmeric.He. has an intense yellow colorso in the past it was used for dye fabrics. In fact, today it is still used to dye wool in countries such as India.
But it has also traditionally been used for medicinal purposes. It has mainly been used due to its antimicrobial role in the treatment fungal infection How fungal microorganisms albicansand parasites, viruses and bacteria. In addition, it was used to lower blood pressure and regulate blood sugar levels. All this was done in the past, especially in cultures like China. However, with the advent of traditional medicine, much more effective medicines have been found, and although it is still being studied as an active ingredient for the development of other medicines, its direct consumption has become more popular. Until now.
If Ozempic is a diabetes drug with weight loss as a side effect, some tiktokers were quick to discover a possible link to berberine. After finding the studies mentioned above without properly analyzing them, they spread the rumor that the yellow pills sold in herbalists could be a great diet pill. Berberine made a splash, but scientists do not agree on either its effectiveness or its safety.
Risks of Taking This Diet Pill
Before the medicine reaches the pharmacy, it must pass clinical trials, with very strict controls. They establish whether it is truly effective, but also determine the appropriate doses and study possible side effects and interactions, both with drinks and food, and with other drugs.
This, on the other hand, is not mandatory for nutritional supplements. While it is true that there are companies that do this, they don’t have to. But just because they don’t have obligations doesn’t mean there aren’t side effects or possible interactions.
In the case of berberine, it is known that it can cause side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, gas and indigestion. And there are also many drugs that it can interact with. The most serious is cyclosporine. It is an immunosuppressant that is used to prevent transplant rejection, so its proper functioning is essential. It has been shown that when taken in combination with berberine, the body breaks down cyclosporine more slowly, so it can increase side effects, which are many with immunosuppressants.
Something similar happens with dextromethorphan and losartan. The first one is a cough remedy and the second one is a medicine for high blood pressure. In both cases, its effectiveness may be reduced and side effects increased. This is what generally happens with any drugs altered by the liver.
Also, if you take fmedicines for diabetes or high blood pressurewhich is common in overweight people, their effects can add up and cause severe hypotension or hypoglycemia.
Beware of Taking Berberine During Pregnancy
Pregnant women often turn to natural formulations for fear of drug exposure. But, again, we are facing the same problem. Medicines usually pass all kinds of control, during which it is established whether they are safe for pregnant women. With natural compounds, this is not always done. Or, if it is done, it is not necessary to specify it. And even if it’s specified, we don’t check it many times; because, after all, if it is natural, it is not expected to be harmful.
Berberine has been studied and is known to be dangerous during pregnancy as it can produce something known as kernicterus. This is brain damage caused by high levels of blood bilirubin. The consequences are very serious, as it can cause from hearing loss to cerebral palsy. Therefore, pregnant women should never take this diet pill.
In short, what many classify as a natural Ozempic matches this drug only in that it should not be taken as a diet pill without the supervision of a specialist. Mainly because the specialist, if this is true, will advise not to use it for this purpose. There are much safer ways to lose weight. They are slower, but no matter how it hurts, it’s okay what happens too fast will eventually bring us problems.
Source: Hiper Textual
