If you are struggling to lose weight or you have diabetes, you are not alone. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 30 million people in the US have diabetes, and being overweight is a significant contributor to the disease.
Fortunately, there is now a peptide available that may help you lose weight and better manage your diabetes when combined with proper lifestyle changes. It is called Semaglutide, and in this blog, you will discover everything you need to know about this incredible therapy.
The Weight and Diabetes Connection
Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for diabetes. This is because excess fat tissue makes it more difficult for the body to use insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar levels. Diabetes can lead to severe complications like heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. In addition, people with diabetes are at increased risk for developing certain types of cancer. Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for managing diabetes and reducing the risk of its complications.
Traditional vs. Functional Approach to Diabetes
The traditional approach to diabetes often focuses on medications, insulin, and treating the symptoms rather than the condition’s root cause. Patients are told they should lose weight and eat better, but that conversation really ends there. The problem with this is that it never treats the issue at hand.
A functional, more holistic approach to diabetes looks at the body as a whole. A functional medicine doctor will look into all factors contributing to the patient’s overall health. This can include hormones, gut health, potential stressors, thyroid conditions, inflammation causes, food sensitivities, and much more. Once they have narrowed down the root cause(s), they can begin teaching the patient the foundational elements of their health, such as proper nutrition, the importance of movement and adequate sleep, how to manage their stress levels, and detoxification. All of these factors can contribute to weight gain and diabetes, as well as several other health conditions.
After implementing these strategies, if there is still room for improvement, that is where peptide therapy, specifically Semaglutide, can come into play.
What Is Semaglutide and How Does It Work?
Semaglutide is an increasingly popular peptide used for weight loss and managing diabetes. Peptides are naturally found in the body; they are composed of amino acids. When peptides are combined with others, they form proteins. They are essential to several biological processes like tissue/muscle repair, hormone production, immune modulation, cognitive health, weight loss, inflammation reduction, DNA repair, and more.
Semaglutide
Semaglutide works by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 is a natural hormone that is released after eating. It helps control blood sugar levels by increasing insulin release and decreasing glucagon release. It also slows down stomach emptying and reduces appetite. By mimicking GLP-1, semaglutide can help improve blood sugar control and promote weight loss in diabetics.
Potential Benefits:
- Healthy weight loss
- Appetite control
- Balanced glucose levels
- Reduced cravings
- Cardio-protection
- Decreased blood pressure
Semaglutide is a once-weekly injection that helps control blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 Diabetes. It also helps promote weight loss. In fact, in one study from The New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of American Medical Association, participants who took Semaglutide injections weekly lost an average of almost 15% of their body weight after fifteen months. That’s compared to just a little over 2% in the placebo group. Both groups combined their Semaglutide therapy with lifestyle changes.
In this same study, nausea and diarrhea were the most commonly reported side effects, which subsided in a timely manner.
At GrassRoots Functional Medicine, we are seeing some pretty incredible results. We recently had a woman in her 20’s come in after being on prescription Ozempic (Semaglutide) from the obesity clinic at Dartmouth Medical Center. She, at the time, was not seeing any results and hadn’t lost any weight. When she came to us, we did comprehensive testing, corrected deficiencies, created an individualized nutritional protocol, and got her moving more. She lost over 20 pounds in just TWO months, and she is still losing weight.
If you’re struggling to lose weight or to manage your diabetes, Semaglutide may be a treatment worth considering. This once-weekly injection can help improve blood sugar control and promote weight loss.
For more information on Peptide Therapy, download our Peptide Handbook.
How Can You Get Started?
At GrassRoots Functional Medicine, we offer personalized peptide therapies to members of our Adaptation Programs. We’ve seen time and time again the best results when peptide therapy is combined with a hands-on, functional approach that optimizes your lifestyle and nutrition for optimal health.
Our programs address diet, nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, detoxification, movement, sleep, mindset, and access to our entire team of experts. Check out our Adaptation Programs, then book your free discovery call to find out if it’s the right fit for you.
