Popular GLP1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound have become the new craze over the past couple of years. Due to the rapid weight loss results that the supplements can produce. But experts are warning that the weight loss could have side effects that are damaging.
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Doctor Warns Against Potential GLP1 Side Effects on The Brain
According to a study from a neuroscience professor at the University of Washington, the rapid weight loss could have lasting impacts on the human brain. Dr. Tommy Wood says that it is entirely dependent on whether the person's body is receiving enough energy and nutrients while they are shedding the weight.
"The best way to think about this is the spectrum of what we call energy availability. The brain is your most energy-hungry organ in the body," Wood said as caught by the New York Post.
Dr. Wood also noted that brain reserve, also known as the physical structure and "hardware capacity" of the brain, follows a curve. One that relates to the energy that is stored and produced by the human body.
He also notes that the excess energy caused by conditions such as obesity, high blood sugar, and metabolic diseases can lessen the brain's elasticity. By "damaging blood vessels and contributing to insulin resistance.
Wood says that the drugs can provide certain benefits, such as lower blood pressure and blood sugar management. But there are other side effects that can potentially put a person's brain at risk. The brain relies on fuel that comes from food and nutrients. So naturally, putting your body in a caloric deficit over an extended period of time would force the brain to consume its own tissue.
"There was a study that looked at the brains of people who ran a marathon. Because the marathon is so energy-intensive, the white matter in the brain actually shrank during a marathon because the brain didn't have enough energy ... so it was eating its own white matter," Dr. Wood added.
He also noted that the participants recovered after a period of rest and food consumption. He says this confirms that drugs like GLP1s pose potential risks.
