March 2024 brought one clear headline: researchers at Stanford led by Dr. Jonathan Long found that metformin can raise levels of a small molecule called lac-phe, which seems to cut hunger. If you’ve heard rumblings that a diabetes drug could help people lose weight, this study is the reason.
The team measured lac-phe after people took metformin and after exercise. Lac-phe has been linked to appetite reduction before, especially after workouts. In this report, metformin increased lac-phe in a way that looks similar to the post-exercise response, and that rise was tied to reduced food intake in the study setup. The research suggests one way metformin might help some people lose weight: by nudging the body’s appetite signals.
That doesn’t mean metformin is a magic diet pill. The study shows a biological effect—higher lac-phe and lower reported appetite—not guaranteed long-term weight loss for everyone. Results like this are a piece of the puzzle that helps explain why some people on metformin lose weight or don’t gain as much as expected.
If you’re on metformin for type 2 diabetes, this finding may explain part of your experience with appetite or weight change. If you’re thinking about metformin just to lose weight, pause and talk to a clinician. Metformin is approved and useful for blood sugar control; using it off-label for weight needs clinical oversight.
Watch for side effects and simple safety steps: metformin commonly causes stomach upset at first, can lower vitamin B12 over time, and rarely is linked to a serious condition called lactic acidosis—mostly in people with kidney or liver problems. A doctor can check your labs, advise on dosing, and suggest B12 testing if you take metformin long term.
There’s another practical point: exercise naturally raises lac-phe too. So combining a medical plan with regular activity and sensible eating gives you more reliable, tested tools for weight and health than relying on a single drug effect.
Researchers still need bigger, longer studies to show how strong and lasting the lac-phe effect is for real-world weight loss. For now, treat the March 2024 findings as an interesting and useful piece of evidence—helpful for understanding how metformin may affect appetite, but not a standalone weight-loss solution.
If you want to talk options, ask your provider about risks, expected benefits, and monitoring before starting or changing any medication. Knowledge like this helps you ask better questions and make safer choices with your health team.
Recent studies led by Dr. Jonathan Long at Stanford University reveal metformin's weight loss benefits by increasing 'anti-hunger' molecules, lac-phe. The drug, primarily for diabetes, shows promise in appetite regulation, mimicking post-exercise effects.
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