Metformin


(Flora) #1

Hi I have a question. on your last episode Richard mentioned to Mr. Koshner that he is taking metformin. i was surprised because i thought his type 2 diabet is under control and reversed. may you please let me know why you are taking metformin? i also am type 2. my A1c came down from 8.9 to 5.7 by following Low carb. I just need to know this for my own information. and thank you so much both of you for having this podcast. It is wonderful and I do listen to them many times.


#2

I haven’t listened to that podcast- your question seems like a good one to me. We talk an awful lot here about weight loss like it’s the be all end all; but health seems like it should be our main priority. Obesity is easy to see- the metabolic syndrome that is often associated with it is probably not as well known by most people- yet. Metformin has been touted as having many benefits to health, including blood sugar reduction. I’m curious bc there is a school of thought that suggests lowering blood sugars below the “accepted non-diabetic range” could be desirable. That coupled with the suggestions that pancreatic b-cells may be killed off at hba1c levels above 5.5 may make Metformin more enticing to some people. I’m hoping @richard will speak to your question. :+1:


(Bill Pletke) #3

The FDA has approved the first human study to see if metformin can protect against the multiple diseases of aging. Apparently, Metformin enhances the activity of an enzyme found within our cells called adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase or AMPK for short. AMPK activation helps mimic the beneficial effects of calorie restriction, This may slow and reverse the biomarkers of human aging.

Studies have already been done on animals and this new study on people may be a major breakthrough if it works.

On the LCHF diet I’ve dropped 80 pounds and my A1C droppped from 6.9 to 5.2. I’ve chosen to continue using metformin. I’ll follow up when I celebrate my 100th birthday LOL


#4

I have the same question.
I did a carb challenge yesterday to check my BGL and sensitivity.
I have been out of diabetes range in my HbA1c tests for quite awhile so hoped my BGL would not skyrocket if I ate carbs.
It did and it stayed up for the two days following. (Edit to add 3 days now).
So, I am interested.,…don’t know if I need to take metformin to protect myself now. Obviously I haven’t “reversed” anything, just am not symptomatic if I don’t eat any carbs (or vegetables) at all.

Not sure how long that is feasible for and whether metformin for someone like me is a healthier option than not taking it. My doctors don’t know…they don’t have any other patients like me. :smile:


(Bunny) #5

There is laboratory Metformin (what most doctors prescribe) and a natural form of Metformin that occurs in nature called Goats Rue* and Berberine*.

What is so fascinating about these types of compounds is they block OCT3 which stops white adipose tissues WAT from absorbing norepinephrine; a component of adrenaline which causes it to float outside the fat cells which increases the browning of WAT into brown adipose tissue BAT.

BAT can use WAT for fuel or oxidize or burn body fat; white adipose fat through a process called UCP-1 like burning the edges (browning of WAT) of a piece of paper with a lighter or match besides oxidizing sugar directly when eaten!

But what is so amazing about all this is that norepinephrine seems to be what determines if fat gets burned or not and effects BMR and RMR simultaneously…that is the philosophers stone or emerald tablet of fat burning science to me!

”…As Above So Below!”

*Important Caveat: I would only take very tiny doses of this stuff, too much can damage your body! (have the opposite effect)

Footnotes:

[1] “…Wenxin Song and colleagues recently published an exciting study in PLOS Biology. The most important finding is that the removal of organic cation transporter 3 (Oct3) in mice prevents uptake of norepinephrine into fat cells. More norepinephrine floating around outside fat cells, rather than inside of them, promotes “browning” of WAT and can increase lipolysis or fat breakdown. In other words, removing Oct3 from white fat cells can increase thermogenesis. …” [Note: the researchers also found that, in humans, some genetic variants of OCT3 (the gene that codes for the Oct3 protein) are associated with higher basal metabolic rate, or higher metabolism at rest. This means that humans may respond similarly to mice if Oct3 was removed to promote WAT browning and lipolysis]. …” …More

[2] “…OCT3 is localized at both the basolateral (blood-facing) and apical (saliva-facing) membranes of salivary gland acinar cells, suggesting a dual role of this transporter in mediating both uptake and efflux of organic cations in the salivary glands [8]. In rodents, OCT3 is found in various areas of the brain including the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and the ependyma of the third ventricle [9, 10]. …” …More

[3] Involvement of organic cation transporter 3 (Oct3/Slc22a3) in the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of antidiabetic metformin in mice.

[4] “…Organic cation transporter 2 ( OCT2) and 3 (OCT3) are …that berberine is a potent inhibitor of human OCT2 and OCT3, and its …” …More


What happens to carbs/sugars when in keto/fat adapted
#6

WOW!
Thank you Bunny.

I need to re-read these references to try to better understand them,
THANK YOU!!!

I wondered if the antidepressant action mentioned may also have effects on the alzheimers brain’s tangled circuitry and the vascular dementia brain’s reduced function.

I think the implication is yes, metformin. Not sure if the berberine is a good idea for a person such as me, because I have pretty massive allergies (a recent one, unidentified, kicked in at 47yo causing anaphylaxis) and chemical sensitivity, newly developed, both since type 2 diabetes diagnosis and rabbit holes heading in various directions since.
I think it’s preservatives myself, but I am cautious with everything by mouth.


(Paul H) #7

Same here! @atomicspacebunny always works my brain. Thank you for resurrecting this post.