According to data from Google Trends, searches by the name of the already have almost double the queries about diets. Yes, they have become a fever in recent years and now Brazil has finally entered the pharmacological race and began selling the first injectable produced in the national territory. Named Olire, the drug has as its active ingredient the liraglutide and was developed by the Brazilian pharmacist EMS.
Despite their success in the country, mainly because of the influencers, there are still many mysteries around their respective effects on the body. After all, do all pens work? How many applications are necessary to achieve a significant effect? Do they all lose weight and treat diabetes equally? To answer this and other questions, the Young Pan He consulted the nourishes Ana Luisa Vilela, a weight loss specialist who lives in an office with the myths and truths of this new wave for the perfect shape.
The young Pan consulted the doctor Nutrologist Ana Luisa Vilela on the subject (disclosure)
What do we know about the liraglutide?
First of all, it is necessary to understand what is liraglute (SAXENDA/VICTOZA). The substance was the first to arrive in Brazil, approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in 2016, and according to expert Ana Luisa, it needs to be applied every day. “Its effect helps to lose weight and has proven to act even as a heart protection.” According to the doctor, there is much to analyze. “Known for the original mark Saxenda, the liraglutide is an analog of the GLP -1 – a hormone that the intestine itself produces after meals. When injected daily, it prolongs satiety, slows gastric emptying and helps regulate the appetite directly in the brain,” he explains. Asked about the results of the injectable, the doctor delivers: “On average, it promotes loss of 5% to 8% of body weight, with good results for those who have compulsion to feed or insulin resistance. Extra benefit, can help control emotional food behavior and decrease the desire for sweets, as application is daily”.
Liraglutado, Semaglutida and Tirzepatida: Is there a difference?
In addition to the liraglutide, other injectable weight loss substances are known to the public, such as Semaglutida (Wegovy/Ozepic). This, however, is injected only once a week and can make the person lose, on average, up to 15% of the weight. The youngest of all of them is Tirzepatida (Mounjaro/Zepbound), which also has weekly application. Its formula combines two hormones and has shown 20% weight loss results. “Semaglutado (the current darling) marketed as Ozepic (for diabetes) is also an agonist of LPG -1, but with prolonged action and higher power. Promotes an average loss of up to 15% of body weight, with reports of hunger control, lasting satiety and even decreased obsessive thoughts for food. Additional effects include improvement of glucose profile, reduction of inflammation and possible protection cardiovascular ”, adds the expert.
Tirzepatida, considered the most promising of the moment, sold under the name Mounjaro, is part of the new generation of injectables. In its formula, it includes: a double agonist of the GLP–1 and GIP receptors. That is, consequently acts in two hormones at the same time, expanding the metabolic impact. “Weight loss is usually more than 20% in studies – a number comparable to bariatric surgery in some cases. It acts by reducing appetite, increasing fat burning and optimizing insulin sensitivity. It also promotes liver health effects and visceral fat control.”
Weight loss pens, as mentioned before, do not only act on weight loss and can influence different parts of the body. Some benefits result in good health such as improving glycemic control, reducing liver fat and decreased systemic inflammation. “In some cases they can still help protect the heart and certainly reprogram food behavior,” recalls Vilela.
After all, how to choose the correct one?
If all do well and promise weight loss, how then choose the ideal? It all depends on the patient’s goal and how his body reacts. For this, constant monitoring of a qualified professional is required. In addition, the doctor declines the thesis that pens are ‘miraculous’ since to obtain real results it is necessary to combine the use of the medicine with good habits.
The choice of the best pen, despite the characteristics presented, depends on the goal of each patient, side effects and, of course, price and availability. All must be prescribed with medical follow -up and associated with lifestyle change. “Pens are not ‘miraculous’ – they are powerful tools, but they need context. In the end, the chosen one should not be the youngest or famous – is the one that makes sense to your body, your routine and your goals. Because weight loss is not just losing weight. It is to recover the command of their own hunger, with intelligence and strategy, so that health remains,” he concludes.
