Ozempic for Weight Loss: Benefits, Risks, Potential Side Effects & Alternatives
May 08, 2023Are you thinking about taking Ozempic or the newer version called Wegovy to lose weight or manage your type 2 diabetes?
Article at a Glance
- Ozempic and Wegovy treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
- Discusses weight loss dosage, alcohol interactions, dosing, and injections.
- Covers joint pain, muscle loss, and fat cells at higher doses.
- Mentions lawsuits related to gallbladder disorders.
- Long-term safety data for Ozempic and GLP-1 agonists is lacking.
- GLP-1 drugs are not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle.
- Feel Great System offers a natural Ozempic alternative.
- Unicity Balance manages insulin, weight loss, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
- Unimate yerba mate improves fasting, GLP-1 levels, and insulin sensitivity.
- Feel Great System supports weight loss and health without medications.
Ozempic is a medication that goes by the name semaglutide. It's a type of medicine called a GLP-1 agonist, which mimics what the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) does naturally in the body. GLP-1 is made by the intestine after we eat, and it signals the pancreas to make insulin, which lowers our blood sugar levels, often called hypoglycemia. GLP-1 also slows down how quickly we digest food, makes us feel less hungry, and helps us feel full. That's why Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists are used to treat type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other problems with how our body processes energy.
Ozempic may also affect other parts of the body that have similar receptors, like the heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. We don't know for sure if it's safe to take these medications at high doses for a long time yet.
Concerns with Ozempic for Weight Loss
While initial clinical trials are showing promising results for weight loss it also have some potential concerns. Most notably as a result of the higher dosage required of Ozempic in the weekly injections to achieve weight loss results. This could possibly have even more unintended consequences from taking the higher dose of the drug long term, including muscle loss and more fat cells – although it does result in a ‘net weight loss”.
It's important to keep in mind that GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic are not a magic pill and should not be seen as a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. They do not give us the ability to continue eating ultra processed foods or living a sedentary lifestyle. In fact, the foundation of making lifestyle changes is essential for long-term weight loss and diabetes control.
While the goal is to lose weigh and the end result is being achieved (net weight loss), with muscle loss can have a negative impact on the body’s metabolic base rate, as well as hormone balance in the body and possibly other metabolic factors. It also discourages users from adopting a healthier lifestyle and relying on the medication to control their weight. This creates a dependency on the drug and potentially even long-term risks.
Long-Term Concerns of Ozempic and other GLP-1 Drugs
Some individuals who have taken Ozempic as a means of managing their diabetes and for weight loss, have reported experiencing joint pain, despite not having arthritis. The question then arises as to whether this medication is indeed responsible for causing joint pain. While swelling in the ankles is a well-known side effect of Ozempic more research is needed to establish a causal link between Ozempic and joint pain.
Since Ozempic is used at higher doses for weight loss, potential dangers must be taken into consideration. Ozempic is a high risk medication. It even has a box warning about the possible risk of thyroid cancer. A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that many be dangerous.
If you take too much Ozempic, you may experience nausea and/or vomiting. You may also have other stomach-related side effects, such as bloating or abdominal pain.
It's important to be cautious of the effects of consuming alcohol and taking Ozempic, as it may increase the likelihood of experiencing low blood sugar levels. The long-term effects of drinking alcohol may include serious complications such as kidney and liver failure, as well as an increased risk of stroke and heart disease.
Over 10,000 adverse events related to gallbladder disorders have been reported to the FDA related to semaglutide. The drug's safety profile is consistent with other similar drugs, with gastrointestinal problems being the most common side effects, and a significant number of these events were identified as being associated with gallbladder disorders. Of particular concern, all instances of cholelithiasis (gallstones) were categorized as serious adverse events. These reports may result in legal action against the drug's manufacturer.
One of the most significant long-term concerns with Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonist drugs is the lack of long-term safety data. Although these medications are showing promising clinical results to help with weight loss and improve A1C levels in the short term, there is no evidence showing their safety over the long term.
Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonist drugs are relatively new, and the FDA and Health Canada only recently approved the higher doses used for weight loss. However, there are no long-term safety data that exist for the higher doses of these drugs. People who are early adopters of taking these drugs for weight loss are essentially taking part in an experiment for long-term safety.
For those who are willing to take those risks and face any unknown long-term effects in the effort to losing weight will be the ones to experience the long term side effects. Many healthcare professioanls are now advocating an approach of caution when it comes to these drugs. Consider waiting as long-term safety data becomes available in the years ahead.
Consider the Natural Alternative to Ozempic & Long-Term Healthy Weight Loss
The Feel Great System offers a natural alternative to Ozempic for healthy weight loss. It combines the Unicity Balance fiber and Unimate yerba mate to support weight loss efforts.
Unicity Balance fiber is an orange-flavored supplement that contains plant-based fiber and helps manage insulin levels, allowing the body to absorb glucose from food for energy. When we eat too much or consume too many carbohydrates, insulin levels can become imbalanced, leading to weight gain and other health problems. Unicity Balance restores the natural fat-burning process by releasing insulin more mildly, enabling the body to enter the fat-burning zone more easily.
Balance fiber matrix is beneficial for accelerating weight loss, curbing appetite, improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and regulating blood sugar levels. Validated from a medical standpoint, Unicity Balance is a patented and effective supplement for weight loss and overall health.
Unicity Unimate yerba mate, on the other hand, is especially helpful for intermittent fasting because it possesses appetite-suppressing qualities, making fasting easier without feeling starved. A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food in 2015 found that yerba mate consumption increases GLP-1 levels, improving insulin sensitivity and reducing appetite.
As we reviewed earlier, GLP-1 is a hormone that our body produces in the gut when we eat, controlling blood sugar levels, slowing food absorption, aiding in weight loss, and reducing inflammation, thereby improving heart health. With Unimate yerba mate, we get the same results in a natural drink as a clinically-proven alternative to Ozempic injections.
The Feel Great System not only helps with weight loss but also supports overall health and well-being. If you're looking for a natural and effective way to lose weight and improve your overall health, give the Feel Great System a try today!
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