In my focus on whole body health for my patients, when you come into my office for an evaluation, I will do a full history and physical. This involves asking you about your medical health, and your blood sugar is a key part of it. Yup. I will ask you what your HbA1c is.
I am a huge fan of continuous glucose monitors. I have a strong genetic history of diabetes, and wearing a glucose montitor can give great insights for what foods will spike your blood sugar. Turns out it varies widely between people. Rice? Bread? Pasta? Oatmeal? Juice?
In my focus on blood sugar and body health, you will read a lot about metformin.
Metformin is a diabetes medication, but it has a host of other effects which are gaining attention. It is thought to help regulate obesity, decrease appetite, and help with weight loss. It is also thought to be an antiaging agent.
Please remember, this is not medical advice. This is a prescription medication and should only be given under the supervision of a doctor. Metformin isn’t without issues. It can cause a lot of GI issues- nausea, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. It does not cause weight loss in everyone. If your blood sugars run low, it is likely not for you. But if your blood runs sweeter (look at your hemoglobin A1C level, which shows your average glucose over the course of 3 months), it may help.
So what does it do?
- BRAIN EFFECT: Appetite suppression via after eating elevation of lactate production, increased sensitivity to leptin, increased production of incretins and vagal signaling, and suppressing hypothalamic AgRP neurons.
- ANTIAGING: ? Reduces sarcopenic obesity, reverses aging related metabolic derangement
- LIVER: decreases hepatic glucose production and reduces systemic insulin requirement
- GUT MICROBIOME: Alters the gut flora, changes hepatic glucose production, increases production of short chain fatty acids
- GI SYMPTOMS: nausea, change in bile absorption, diarrhea, bloating, altered taste.
This is part of a series of blogs for me on the subject. I am very interested in biohacking; How can we live our best lives and optimize bodies as we age? Not only will this make you look prettier by having better health at a cellular level, but there seem to be real improvements in rates of health issues- heart health, avoiding diabetes, maybe even cancer rates.
It’s cheap, it has been around forever, and we know its effects over decades unlike some of the newer medications which are out. It is not for everyone. It is likely best for those again who have higher baseline glucose levels. But if your HbA1c is elevated (5.4 or above), it is a real consideration.
GLPs may do all of this better than metformin. But metformin is cheap, has been around for 60 years so we know the long term effects, and it is an oral pill.
Stay tuned. More blogs to come.
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health or medical condition.
