Last Updated on November 15, 2024
Metformin, the drug taken by millions of people to treat diabetes, has received tons of attention in the media for various reasons. The drug is known as the leading drug to control glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, but has shown many additional benefits.
Metformin Benefits
The beneficial properties of metformin have been known for close to 100 years. The first noted research dates back to 1929 when two researchers, using rabbits found that the agent was able to lower sugar levels inside of the rabbits. Metformin wasn’t approved to be sold in the United States until 1994 to treat type 2 diabetes. Now the drug is one of the most prescribed drugs for managing diabetes.
Some researchers have found evidence that metformin does not operate like everyone was assuming. Dr. John Buse of the University of North Carolina Medical School was the lead author of a study that could change the way that we look at it. Previously it was thought that metformin works by entering into the circulatory system, but recent research shows that it might work in the gut instead. Fully understanding how metformin works is key to utilizing all the benefits it carries.
Breast Cancer
A recent study discovered that it could be beneficial for breast cancer patients. A data analysis released in The Oncologist showed that patients improved their diabetes as well as their cancer-specific survival as well as overall survival. The researchers studied patients diagnosed with breast cancer that were currently or had ever taken metformin. The results were that metformin could account for a decreased risk of death by up to 47%. These results are exciting and could lead to amazing results. The researchers suggest that more research must be completed to understand fully the effects of metformin on breast cancer.
Anti-Aging
The “anti-aging” benefit is one of the newest and most popular benefits to metformin. While this benefit might seem far-fetched, research has shown that metformin has extended the life of some animals.
Researchers have just gotten approval to begin testing metformin as an anti-aging drug on humans. The research project, which has become known as “Targeting Aging with Metformin (Tame). The study will consist of around 3,000 patients who are diagnosed with a chronic disease or are at a high-risk for developing a chronic disease like cancer, heart disease, or other serious illnesses. The study is expected to last around six years and will reveal more information about metformin’s ability to extend patients lives.
Improves Sleep
Diabetes has been shown to cause sleep disorders because of the decreased insulin resistance. Because of its effect on insulin, metformin has been shown to improve sleep times and sleep quality. A study in 2014 analyzed the sleep patterns of 387 patients, with 314 of them using metformin and showed that those using the drug got an average of over 30 more minutes of sleep. The study also showed that the quality of sleep of those on metformin was improved versus those that weren’t taking the medication.
Positive Effect of Intestinal Bacteria
Researchers look at the intestinal bacteria amounts of 784 people without type 2 diabetes in China, Denmark, and Sweden. The results of the research showed that patients taking metformin showed positive effects on intestinal bacteria. Specifically, metformin impacts the coliform bacteria in the intestines. The drug improves the ability of the bacteria to create short-chain fatty acids that reduce glucose levels. This study enforces the idea that metformin works primarily in the gut of patients.
All of these benefits make metformin seem like a super-drug that could cure just about anything. On top of everything else, metformin is cheap drug and easy for almost anyone to acquire, but the drug does come with some side effects. Some metformin users have experienced diarrhea, nausea, headaches, B12 deficiencies, stomach pains, and several other minor side effects. Most of the side effects of the drug are rare and minor, but with all these benefits it seems like the good outweighs the bad.
