The History of Semaglutide
Semaglutide debuted in the pharmaceutical world in 2012 when parent company Novo Nordisk first introduced their new GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide) medication for Type 2 diabetes. After another five years of clinical trials, the medication was approved for diabetics to help curb appetite, lose weight, and thereby control their diabetes. After a couple of years on the market, the doctors began to realize their type 2 diabetic patients on semaglutide were losing a lot of weight. And it didn’t take long for Novo Nordisk to realize the potential of semaglutide as a weight loss medication.
The next few years of semaglutide saw celebrity influence, as the Kardashians made the name-brand drug, Ozempic, world-famous. Every week, people would tune in to watch Khloe, Kourtney, and Kim sit by the pool drinking margaritas while losing weight. When they finally admitted to using the medication, it became an overnight sensation. Everyone wanted it, and soon, no one could get it.
Being on a drug shortage list, semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and later the weight-loss-specific version, Wegovy) was authorized by the FDA to be compounded. A compounded medication simply means the medication was prepared by a pharmacist or a physician to meet a patient’s specific needs. So now, Novo Nordisk no longer had the market cornered on semaglutide, as pharmacies across the United States could now make semaglutide and sell it at a much lower price than the name brand Ozempic and Wegovy.
Miraculously, about this time, the internet seemed to be flooded with bad press about the dangers of compounded semaglutide, warning the population that the only safe versions of the medication came in the form of the expensive name brands. However, nothing is further from the truth.
So where does compounded semaglutide come from?
In America, we have 503A and 503B pharmacies. The simplest explanation is that a 503A pharmacy makes individual medication, while a 503B pharmacy makes larger batches for office supply use. In a 503B pharmacy, every process is required to be validated. Meaning that every batch of medication must be quality tested for purity and sterility before being released to the public. Medications from American 503B compounding pharmacies are of the highest quality. That being said, not all semaglutide comes from America…
Some companies chose to save money by acquiring their medication from foreign sources. These foreign companies, which aren’t regulated by the FDA and therefore don’t have to play by the same rules, deliver an inferior and often unsafe product, known as semaglutide salts.
Semaglutide salts, known as semaglutide acetate and semaglutide sodium, do not contain the same active ingredients as semaglutide. And while they may help someone lose some weight, the toll the semaglutide salt takes on their kidneys will not be worth it. Most semaglutide being sold online for ridiculously cheap prices is either watered-down semaglutide or semaglutide salts. But people are so desperate to get this medication that some are unfortunately willing to take the risk by using an online company that sources their semaglutide from unverified and unregulated overseas companies. “Purchasing medicine online from unregulated, unlicensed sources can expose patients to potentially unsafe products that have not undergone appropriate evaluation or approval or do not meet quality standards,” the FDA said.
How does semaglutide help me lose weight?
Now we’re down to the science! Semaglutide is a peptide, a synthetic hormone, which mimics the GLP-1 hormone your body already produces to tell our brains we’re full and don’t need to eat anymore. When we eat, GLP-1s are released to signal our brain when we are full, so we stop eating. It also prompts the body to produce more insulin, which reduces blood sugar.
Semaglutide is very effective at helping people lose weight, and it accomplishes this task in several ways. It helps you eat less and stay full longer after you eat. By eating smaller meals and not snacking between meals, you are creating a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit is a fancy way of saying you’re eating fewer calories than your body is burning throughout the day. The benefit and desired outcome of a calorie deficit is of course weight loss. The bigger the calorie deficit and the more consistent the deficit occurs, the greater the weight loss. Semaglutide also acts on the craving center of the brain, reducing or eliminating cravings, which results in fewer calories and a greater calorie deficit.
What are the side effects of Semaglutide?
Whenever you see a commercial for a medication, at the end of the commercial, they try to slyly insert all the side effects that could occur to someone taking the medication. During human medication trials, if someone reports ANYTHING to the researchers, it must be listed as a possible side effect. That doesn’t mean it will occur. All it is saying is that someone reported this symptom during the research, and we are unsure if the medication was the cause. That being said, the most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. The two most prevalent side effects are nausea and constipation.
How do I maximize my results on Semaglutide?
As with everything in life, what you put into it is what you get out of it. Will you lose weight on semaglutide if you continue to sit on your couch, exercise, eat healthily, and not increase your water intake? More than likely, the answer is yes. Semaglutide is a fantastic medication, and it does its job well. But the amount of weight you lose and the speed you lose it may leave much to be desired. The people who see the best results from semaglutide are those who get their lifestyle in check. What does that mean? They find a meal plan they like and stick with it. They find an exercise regimen they enjoy and stick with it. They increase their water and fiber intake, and… you guessed it, they stick with it. Persistence x Consistency = Results. That formula is how you make anything work, and semaglutide is no different.
Have a blessed day!
