Laxatives: In some public, there is a great obsession with wanting to lose kilos. In others, there is fear of increasing them. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to risky behaviour. These include the use of laxatives to lose weight.
We must begin by clarifying that they do not serve as a method to lose weight or help burn fat. In addition, its inappropriate, excessive and unsupervised use can cause severe injury to health.
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What Are Laxatives
Laxatives should only consume or administered under a doctor’s prescription. There are two types: rectally and orally.
Its purpose is to help move food through the digestive system faster. In this way, they accelerate or assist in eliminating faeces when the intestine is affected.
They recommend combatting constipation, increasing stool bulk, or urinating more easily. For example, if a person has a coccyx fracture, straining while defecating can affect them. In that case, laxatives contribute to your well-being momentarily.
Its administration may also be required when endoscopic studies are to will perform. However, the treating physician will determine the type of laxatives, the dose, and the time the patient must use them.
Those having extracts from natural products are preferred. However, if the person has problems having frequent bowel movements, what will recommend is to increase the consumption of fibre with the diet, taking advantage of its natural laxative properties.
Are Laxatives Useful For Weight Loss?
For some time now, it has become mutual practice to use laxatives to try to lose weight. But, as we have already said, this is not the purpose of these medications.
In this regard, according to the results of a study carried out in Barranquilla (Colombia), with young people between 14 and 18 years old in whom risk behaviours associated with bulimia prevailed, 18.2% admitted that they engaged in this type of practice.
Additionally, it will consider that those who tend to develop overweight or obesity are more likely to do so. However, it must clarify that this is not limited only to young people but also to the fact that adults are also involved.
Concerning the effectiveness of laxatives for weight loss, it is worth clarifying that it is not proven. And it is that fluids constitute the weight that is lost.
Laxatives usually affect the functioning of the large intestine, helping to transit faeces. However, they do not eliminate accumulated subcutaneous fat in the body. It can loos in other ways, through diet and training.
A person who uses a laxative to lose weight will lose maybe 1 or 2 kilos of fluids, with minerals and electrolytes.
In other arguments, any weight loss gained in this way will be provisional. The only thing that could remain would be the disorders it brings.
Risks Of Using Laxatives To Lose Weight
There are several risks related to the use of laxatives for weight loss. First, it is an unsafe practice, which can cause various health problems.
Dehydration
People do this without medical supervision. Therefore, they may use inappropriate laxatives or exceed the dose and time.
Uric Acid And Kidney Glitches
A problem related to this opinion is that urine production also decreases by increasing dehydration due to water loss in the stool. The consequences point to kidney malfunction and an increase in uric acid, which can lead to the appearance of pathologies such as gout.
Nutrient Loss
The body has less time to ingest particular nutrients due to intestinal transit speeding up. For instance, a low potassium level might cause heart arrhythmias and muscle aches.
Over time, continuing to use laxatives to lose weight will make us imbalanced and result in a nutritional imbalance without necessarily reducing the weight.
Anaemia
Anaemia may develop as a result of a vitamin deficiency, which is another issue. It will be able to identify those with eating disorders like anorexia.
Disorders Of The Digestive System
Long-term use of laxatives may irritate the colon and upper digestive system and impair the permeability and functionality of the intestinal mucosa and its lining and function.
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Constipation
Since they are not necessary to completely inhibit their activities with laxatives, the intestines may stop functioning effectively. As a result, even though it seems counterintuitive, we won’t be able to evacuate on our own and will instead have constipation.
Anorexia
Young individuals who take laxatives and different diet medicines to lose weight have a higher chance of developing anorexia, according to a study.
Development Of Other Addictive Behaviours
Teenagers’ propensity for dangerous behaviour without regard to the repercussions is one of the main issues with this consumption. Along with the potential for addiction, the practice will frequently link to the early introduction of dangerous substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, and other narcotics.
Safe Weight Loss
The desire to flaunt a trim physique might become obsessional. While maintaining a healthy weight is something we advise, some behaviours are ultimately detrimental.
It is crucial to remember that no meal or activity that requires us to forgo our health may be advantageous. For instance, using laxatives to reduce weight negatively affects humans and is ineffective because weight loss is temporary.
If you want to lose weight without affecting your health, that is, without suffering imbalances in your diet and converting what is fat into muscle mass; there are two recommendations:
Regular Exercise.
To do this, you must go to a nutrition specialist and a professional trainer, who will help you design a diet and recommend exercises appropriate to your caloric needs and work capacity.
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