Are Ozempic and Mounjaro Safe Choices?
The pharmaceutical industry has been really busy in recent years. And in stemming the tide around the rising rates of type 2 diabetes, there’s been a slew of new medications on the market to help fight “The War on Obesity.”
Like a lot of existential wars fought these days, obesity isn’t an enemy. Your body is never your enemy. If anything, your body is an entire troop of valiant soldiers in the wake of the misinformation that has us undermining the chemical processes that are there to keep us healthy.
Our bodies want us to succeed.
I can’t say that enough. Despite the poisons and toxins that ravage our delicate systems, we somehow miraculously keep functioning. Our heart somehow maintains it’s natural rhythm no matter what’s going on in our cells and our organs. The fight and desire for life is real and unceasing. We definitely have a tendency to give up way before our bodies do.
Despite this deep and thousands of years knowing in naturopathic circles, the pharmaceutical industry still, more often than not, treats every malfunction as an enticement to war. It treats our very bodies as chemistry sets, and reduces our health to probabilities. And as always, the root cause for the formidable foe, the reason this disease has decided to raise an army and attack our bodies, is never discussed.
Pharmaceuticals are like letting off bombs on an enemy we have never even met.
Enter Ozempic and Mounjaro, two medications that have gained attention over the last few years for their purported benefits in controlling blood sugar levels and aiding weight loss. Ozempic has even been purported as the “celebrity weight loss miracle” with the likes of Elon Musk and Amy Schumer admitting to using the drug.
It’s good practice, however, with pharmaceutical treatments, to act with a bit of caution and not follow the trends. We shouldn’t underestimate or understate the health toll on millions of people, every time the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls a staggering average of 1,279 drugs per year.*
When we understand our bodies are not against us, maintaining a good health regime becomes far easier… In this article, let’s examine the purported benefits and risks surrounding Ozempic and Mounjaro and why there are experts that believe they may be harmful to your health.
Understanding Ozempic and Mounjaro
Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) belong to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Sounds complicated, but a receptor agonist is just a substance that mimics the actions of a hormone to produce a response, activating the reaction when it binds to a cell in your body. GLP-1’s major action is to stimulate insulin secretion. GLP-1 also causes a reduction in appetite. So far so good.
In Type 2 Diabetes, insulin resistance (the body’s inability to use insulin when there’s a lot of sugar in the blood) and obesity tend to be classed as the culprits of the disease, so these drugs are often prescribed to help patients control their blood sugar levels. And, as these drugs promote weight loss, they have also become appealing to people without diabetes struggling with obesity.
Problem with the “culprit” assignation is that modern science isn’t thoroughly certain as to why insulin resistance happens.
In the main, excess exposure to insulin in the bloodstream is thought to be a primary cause, along with genetics, excess weight around the waist and inactivity as contributors, but the exact chemical mechanism hasn’t been elucidated.
Also, obesity is a state of chronic malnutrition, so is under-eating going to help?
Obesity is called a “paradoxical state of malnutrition,” meaning that despite high calorie consumption, there is a shortage of essential micronutrients and excessive malabsorption - both of which are found in conventional malnutrition. It’s thought that when you’re in a state of obesity, you’re body is constantly craving food in the hopes that nutrients will be supplied. Failing to receive these critical nutrients, the hunger intensifies.
There are many reasons one gets into a cycle of paradoxical malnutrition - poor dietary choices growing up, poor dietary choices as an adult, poverty, depression and anxiety, trauma, sedentary lifestyle, genetics, health conditions, medications…to name a few. Yet, at it’s core, it’s important to know that the root of obesity is not laziness or excessive eating - it’s malnutrition.
So while Ozempic and Mounjaro offer potential benefits in terms of blood sugar control and weight loss, the mechanism by which it’s doing this for insulin resistance and weight loss doesn’t seem to address the underlying issue - malnutrition.
We don’t know what is at the root of the insulin resistance - there are so many possible factors.
And if you stifle an appetite in a state of paradoxical malnutrition, you’ll become even more nutrient deficient, which can lead to other metabolic and chronic conditions - like those listed in the side effects Mounjaro and Ozempic, like cancer and cardiovascular disease.
That’s disappointing…
But couldn’t you just couple Ozempic and Mounjaro with a nutrient dense, healthy diet, without the pesky cravings? And if it helps sugar levels, isn’t it better than taking loads of insulin? Right, that may be it!
Unfortunately, some pretty big concerns have arisen regarding these drugs’ safety profile, and it doesn’t remove the need for insulin.
Here’s a rundown on some key issues that have raised red flags among healthcare professionals:
1. Gastrointestinal Side Effects: Both Ozempic and Mounjaro are associated with a high incidence of gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. Poor gastrointestinal function is linked to gut-dysbiosis, and gut-dysbiosis is linked to slowing weight loss. This is a well-known, reported across the entire health community, from Harvard Health to the average naturopath. And given these symptoms are often severe and disruptive, it’s challenging for patients to adhere to their treatment regimen, which usually includes the drug coupled with exercising and improved diet. Remember - lack of exercise and poor diet are critical factors contributing to insulin resistance and obesity.
2. Pancreatitis: There have been reports of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), in patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Mounjaro. Pancreatitis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. When inflammation occurs in the pancreas, the pro-inflammatory cells secrete growth factors and toxins that can trigger uncontrolled growth of pancreatic cells - leading to pancreatic cancer. People with a family history of pancreatic cancer or carrying gene mutations related to pancreatic cancer would be particularly at risk for this. Also, those who carry other gene predispositions (BRCA1, BRCA2) found in 1 out of 300-800 people are also at risk. If BRCA1 and BRCA2 sound familiar, mutations in those genes are responsible for breast cancer in both men and women and ovarian cancer, along with being implicated in pancreatic cancer.
3. Thyroid Tumours and Cancer: Some studies have suggested a potential link between GLP-1 receptor agonists and an increased risk of thyroid cancer. While the evidence is not conclusive, it has raised concerns about the long-term safety of these drugs.
4. Cardiovascular Risks: Research has also raised questions about the cardiovascular safety of Ozempic and Mounjaro. Although these medications have demonstrated really positive cardiovascular benefits in some studies, others have reported increased heart rate and inconclusive data leading toward worsening of symptoms for those with pre-existing cardiac issues.
5. Contraindications and risk for polypharmacy: Neither drug replaces the need for insulin. This is thereby adding an additional drug to a Type 2 Diabetic, who are often on many other medications - leading to a state of polypharmacy, increasing the risk of adverse drug effects. Also, the use of Ozempic and Mounjaro poses serious risks of hypoglycaemia, which is low blood sugar caused by excess insulin in the blood. Remember earlier, GLP-1 stimulates the production of insulin. And excess insulin in the bloodstream may be the primary cause of insulin resistance according to the National Institutes of Health in the USA. Certain antibiotics, birth control and hormone replacements also have been known to interact with the drug - which a great many people at any given time would be taking.
Darn.
Now, your own individual risk may be different. But it does seem like a really roundabout way to attack insulin resistance and malnutrition. For me, its like going to a conflict zone where there are starving children and giving them a soda just because they like it.
Nutrition is at the core of these illnesses, and replenishing nutrition and increasing absorption of critical nutrients is what will reverse Type 2 Diabetes and obesity for good.
Ozempic and Mounjaro are innovative medications - that can’t be denied. But the potential side effects and safety concerns associated with these medications cannot be ignored. They offer a promise of blood sugar control and weight loss for individuals with Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. However, it’s crucial to approach these drugs with caution, especially if you are physically able to reverse your own health. And by physically able I mean you have three qualities:
The desire to be healthy
The ability to transform your diet - which may require support, which is OK
The ability to exercise and be outside
It is essential to first consider, and actively attempt, alternative complementary treatment options and lifestyle changes that achieve better results with fewer potential health risks.
Ultimately, the decision to use Ozempic or Mounjaro should be based on a careful evaluation. While there are people and celebrities who will purport the amazing benefits of these drugs, they have some serious risks, and their long-term safety and effectiveness requires ongoing research and monitoring.
Don’t risk your health on a fad.
References:
Lightfoot Law PLLC, 1 April 2022, https://www.lightfootlawdc.com/blogs/fda-drug-recall-statistics/
