Many people want to lose weight, whether it is for health reasons or just for appearance,
However, maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise can be very challenging.
With the emergence of an increasing number of new weight loss methods, including red light therapy, one must question whether they are a blessing or a danger to us.
Without further ado, let's find out!
Ozempic for Weight Loss
Ozempic is a medication that contains the active ingredient semaglutide. It is primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes, but it has also been found to have weight loss benefits.
When used for weight loss, Ozempic is prescribed at a higher dose than the dose typically used for diabetes management.
How Does Ozempic Work?
The medication works by mimicking the action of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which helps regulate blood sugar levels and also promotes feelings of fullness and satiety.
This can lead to reduced appetite, decreased food intake, and ultimately weight loss.
Before and After
A study published on September 1, 2022, demonstrated that using Ozempic for a duration of 3 to 6 months can indeed lead to weight loss in obese patients.
175 patients who underwent the 3-month treatment achieved an average weight loss of 6.7 kg.
Meanwhile, 102 patients with 6-month treatment experienced an average weight loss of 12.3 kg.
Another study involving 327 participants showed that after continuous administration for 68 weeks (which is about one year plus a season), the subjects experienced an average weight reduction of 17.3%. In comparison, the placebo group only achieved 2.0%.
It does sound really promising.
Aside from professional research, we have also found many people on social media who claim to have achieved weight loss results, such as the following:
At least from the images and videos, the before-and-after comparison results are astonishing.
Side Effects
However, it's important to note that this study also mentioned that participants regained two-thirds of their previous weight loss after discontinuing the medication for one year.
In other words, the weight loss due to Ozempic is likely to rebound once the medication is stopped.
That can be quite disappointing.
Furthermore, let's consider the possibility that when your body becomes accustomed to Ozempic, it may lead to a shift in your dietary habits towards unhealthy choices since you don't have to worry about gaining weight as before.
As a result, when you discontinue the use of Ozempic, the rebound effect on weight could potentially be more severe.
We have also discovered some adverse effects associated with Ozempic, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation.
We can also see some unusual side effects, such as hair loss and fatigue.
Based on the clinical research data we have collected, it seems that Ozempic does not directly cause hair loss. However, during rapid weight loss, it is possible to experience hair loss as a side effect while taking medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
What's going on here?
According to experts in the field of health, it is common to experience hair loss during periods of significant weight loss.
Ozempic can prevent the body from obtaining excess energy from the diet. When the body does not get enough nutrients, it prioritizes important functions such as tissue repair, digestion, and hormone production.
Hair growth is not considered a necessary physiological activity and is therefore suppressed.
This is like when you spend all your salary halfway through the month, and before the next payday, you can only choose to give up unnecessary expenses, otherwise, you will go bankrupt.
So how does Ozempic cause fatigue?
Ozempic may cause a slight decrease in blood sugar levels for certain individuals. As the body adapts to the medication, low blood sugar can lead to temporary drowsiness.
However, the side effects of Ozempic mainly manifest as gastrointestinal discomfort.
In nearly all the available studies, the participants were obese individuals, meaning their body fat percentage reached or exceeded 25-30.
However, we can see many individuals on social media sharing their experiences with Ozempic who do not appear to meet the criteria for obesity.
Could this pose a potential health risk? We cannot draw a definitive conclusion at this time.
Financial Cost
Lastly, compared to traditional weight loss methods such as dietary control or exercise, using Ozempic will cost you $1,200 PER MONTH if your healthcare insurance does not cover this medication.
Celebrities may not pay attention to their Ozempic bill. Nevertheless, for the majority of people, paying $1200 every month is a significant cost to consider.
Himalayan Ice Hack
By searching Ice Hack on Google, I came across an article on a website:
Looks cool! But, is it really that easy to burn 500 calories?
First, let's take a look at what 500 calories actually means.
Roughly speaking, to burn 500 calories, you would need to run for 40 minutes or cycle for one hour.
Of course, it also depends on the intensity of your exercise. Running at 8 mph or at 2mph makes a huge difference in burning calories.
BTW, you can use this tool to quickly calculate how many calories you need to cut to lose weight. You can thank me for this later.
In short, burning 500 calories is not something that can be easily achieved without serious effort.
Does Ice Hack Recipe Work?
So, does the theory behind the ice hack really hold up?
I searched on Google Scholar and PubMed, but I couldn't find any relevant studies to support the effectiveness of the ice hack.
While certain foods and diets can provide assistance in the weight loss process, there is no evidence to suggest that "ICE" itself has any special weight loss effects.
Therefore, as of now, it is merely baseless personal speculation. In fact, we don't even see any success stories of the so-called ice hack on social media.
Indeed, there are some studies indicating that obese individuals may have lower body temperatures, but further research is still lacking in this area.
However, I noticed a strange phenomenon: ice hack seems to be related to a weight loss supplement called Alpilean.
Could it be that combining the two together can produce a wonderful chemical reaction?
Let's dive deeper into it.
Alpilean for Weight Loss
Alpilean sounds similar to Ozempic mentioned earlier. What exactly is it?
Their website is filled with exciting slogans.
Very strangely, if I didn't purchase their product within 1 minute, the website would try to take me to another page - a page playing a video baiting for clicks.
They're trying to create an illusion of being a bestseller, paired with the host's vivid speech, conjuring up an excellent weight loss fantasy.
The 60-Day Money Back Guarantee, that's the final straw that breaks everyone's rationality.
Does Alpilean Really Work?
Let's look at this objectively.
The video repeatedly emphasizes that their product is 100% natural. So what ingredients does this supplement actually contain that make people lose weight?
According to their website, Alpilean contains 6 so-called “science-backed ingredients”, Turmeric, Ginger, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Drumstick Tree Leaf, Dika Nut, and Golden Algae (Fucoxanthin).
So let’s review there one by one and find out if it’s actually scientific-backed.
Turmeric
Turmeric, which has been proven to have weight loss effects.
In a 2019 study, researchers reviewed past randomized controlled trials and formed a systematic review.
Here is the original conclusion: “Overall, we have found that curcumin intake among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders was correlated with a significant reduction in BMI, weight, WC, and leptin, and a significant increase in adiponectin levels, but did not affect HR.”
This also means that turmeric can indeed provide weight loss benefits.
But it's important to note that the participants in these trials originally had various diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Metabolic syndrome, Obese or overweight, and Hyperlipidemic individuals.
They were not simply obese due to dietary issues or lack of exercise.
Let’s move to Ginger.
Ginger
In an experiment, researchers used mice instead of humans and designed an unhealthy dietary structure. The high-fat diet led to increased body weight, high blood glucose, high cholesterol, and fat accumulation in the liver of the mice.
Well, sounds just like us when we eat too much fast food.
In contrast, another group of mice was given the same dietary structure but with the addition of 5% ginger powder.
The results showed that ginger supplementation could inhibit obesity induced by the high-fat diet.
Another experiment used overweight males as the research subjects.
The study had 10 men who were 39 years old and had an average BMI of 27.2. They measured how much energy their bodies used when they were resting. Then they drank a hot drink with 2 grams of ginger powder for breakfast. After that, they measured how much energy their bodies used for 6 hours and how full they felt.
The results from human trials were not as optimistic.
The study found no significant effect of ginger on energy expenditure, meaning ginger does not make your body expend more energy to create a caloric deficit and burn fat.
However, ginger can enhance thermogenesis and reduce feelings of hunger. It can contribute to weight loss by suppressing appetite and directly reducing food intake.
In other words, making food taste worse might have the same effect.
Some experiments have proven effective, some have not, indicating that research is still insufficient. We still do not know the mechanisms behind how ginger works.
Next, let's speed things up and see if the other 4 ingredients in Alpilean can help with weight loss.
Citrus Bioflavonoids and Drumstick Tree Leaves
The situation is similar to ginger.
Citrus Bioflavonoids and Drumstick Tree Leaves have shown some potential for weight loss, but it's important to note these findings are primarily from animal studies or in vitro experiments.
Dika Nut
Dika Nut is a kind of plant seed from Africa, mainly used for food, plant oil, and weight loss supplements.
Although Dika Nut extracts are considered a natural healthy way to improve overall health, there is limited research specifically on Dika Nut for weight loss.
Overall, there is a lack of a large, rigorous double-blind trial to validate the efficacy of Dika Nut for weight loss. We also do not know about its side effects.
This makes taking it risky - you don't know if it will interact with other medications you are taking.
Golden Algae
Things are starting to get interesting...
Golden Algae is a unicellular, potentially harmful algal species that live in water. Because it can produce toxins, Golden Algae can have detrimental effects on aquatic life and ecosystems.
So when applied to the medical field, can Golden Algae really deliver positive results?
In this paper published in 2016, the authors proposed that algae are a potential source of anti-obesity drugs.
However, when I looked deeper into relevant research, I found the studied algae were spirulina, fucoxanthin, Sargassum siliques, etc.
No Golden Algae.
Do you notice what went wrong here?
It's like someone telling you, hey, eating apples is good for health, and showing you research on how bananas and oranges benefit the body.
The problem is, they are using research on other algae species to support the claimed effects of Golden Algae, without direct evidence.
The fact that some algae have anti-obesity potential does not mean this particular Golden Algae does too. Each algal species has different biochemical properties and effects.
About Alpilean: my conclusion
When we search for each of the 6 ingredients in Alpilean, you'll find that seemingly every ingredient has potential weight loss effects.
But it's important to note that apart from Turmeric, there is insufficient research on the other 5 ingredients to demonstrate efficacy in humans.
And with so few clinical trials, we also don't know what exact dosages could promote weight loss.
Finally, if you have chronic conditions and are on long-term medications, taking Alpilean carries risks of drug interactions which can be severe or even fatal.
However, I'm not saying these ingredients have no weight loss effects. In fact, I hope future research can shed more light on this area.
Making these natural weight loss approaches more robust and safer will benefit all of us.
Red Light Therapy for Weight Loss
Red light therapy is a form of light therapy that is commonly referred to by various names, such as low-level light therapy (LLLT), photobiomodulation (PBM), cold laser therapy, low-power laser therapy (LPLT), photon stimulation, and others.
Danish doctor Niels Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1903 for his discovery that red light could be used to treat a variety of conditions, including muscle diseases, chronic skin diseases, and tuberculosis.
NASA's research in the 1980s on regulating plant growth and addressing the challenges of space travel led to funding for experiments with LEDs for medical purposes.
This paved the way for the introduction of LEDs into the medical light therapy sector, which ultimately accelerated the adoption of red light therapy in the consumer market.
What are the red light therapy benefits for weight loss?
How Does it Work?
In this study, researchers used light therapy combining red, infrared, and blue wavelengths and successfully reduced abdominal upper segment measurements in all 18 subjects from 92 before treatment to 87;
For the middle and lower abdominal segments, before and after measurements were 97 to 91 and 100 to 95, respectively.
This demonstrates that light therapy has the ability to achieve fat reduction.
In this comprehensive review, the author's viewpoint is: “LLLT has a potential to be used in fat and cellulite reduction as well as in the improvement of blood lipid profile without any significant side effects.”
Experts approve the use of red light therapy to eliminate fat and cellulite.
But how does light eliminate fat? The article also explains the mechanism.
“One of the main proposed mechanism of actions is based upon production of transient pores in adipocytes, allowing lipids to leak out. Another is through activation of the complement cascade which could cause induction of adipocyte apoptosis and subsequent release of lipids.”
Feeling confused? It's just that the terminology used is a bit more "medical".
Simply put, if we compare fat to a bunch of balloons filled with water, all piled up in a swimming pool. And this pool is your belly, thighs, or whole body.
When using red light therapy (LLLT), on one hand, the light punctures these balloons, allowing the water to flow out, join the circulation and eventually disappear. On the other hand, it directly destroys these balloons.
No matter which way, both ultimately lead to the breakdown and removal of fat.
Unique Benefits of Red Light Therapy
Now we know that red light therapy has been proven in studies to indeed help with weight loss.
But we are still curious, compared to other weight loss methods, such as traditional diet control and exercise, or the emerging therapies mentioned above, what are the unique advantages of red light therapy?
I would summarize them in three points: no side effects, easy to use, and additional health benefits.
Low Side Effects
Compared to drugs, red light therapy has less potential for harm to the body.
In general, side effects of using red light therapy include photosensitivity, rash, etc., depending on whether you use an LED device or a laser device.
LED light therapy, when used alone, usually does not cause any discomfort. In fact, patients may feel comfortable and relaxed.
With laser therapy, due to its high power, you may encounter risks like burns, redness, etc. This is a bit like sunburn, both caused by excessive exposure to high-intensity light.
Easy to Use
You can easily purchase high-quality red light devices for a few hundred dollars.
If you're interested, we have another article that specifically introduces how to choose red light devices.
Red light therapy has developed over the decades and has become very simple to use. If you are using a red light belt, simply turn it on and wear it on the area you want to treat for 10-20 minutes.
Additionally, most home red light devices have a lifespan of 2-5 years.
That is to say, you don't need to pay recurring fees as you would for medication or supplements.
This is a one-time purchase.
Provide Overall Health Benefits
As mentioned earlier, red light therapy did not originate as a weight loss therapy.
Today, countless people use it as the best treatment for pain, inflammation, hair loss, neurological conditions, and other diseases. They all received positive results.
Red light therapy is widely used because there is strong evidence that it stimulates the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the primary energy source for all cellular processes.
For different diseases or symptoms, red light therapy has shown unbelievable potential. If you are suffering from hair loss, pain, or neurological conditions.
The human body is an extremely intricate instrument, with different parts not isolated from each other. For example, when we are extremely stressed, digestion may be inhibited, or give you diarrhea.
Therefore, some symptoms you are experiencing, and their root causes may be completely beyond your imagination.
Red light therapy can provide comprehensive assistance at this time. This is something other weight loss methods cannot achieve.
Before and After
You can find people's weight loss results on social media -- it really works.
However, compared to Ozempic, red light therapy may not work as quickly.
If you're trying to lose 20 lbs in a week for your friend's wedding next week, you'll need to seek other tricks.
Relatively speaking, red light therapy is more like a weight-loss helper. It accelerates fat breakdown and metabolism, making the body quickly eliminate fat. It is safer and gentler.
Magnetic Earrings for Weight Loss
Finally, let's talk about magnetic earrings. This is also an interesting topic.
I found some studies on the health effects of magnets.
One 2018 paper said: “Despite insufficient studies conducted on the effects of neodymium magnets, they appear to have a great potential for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.”
However, due to the limited number of studies on the topic, our understanding of the relationship between magnetism and healthcare remains inadequate.
Do Magnetic Earrings Work for Weight Loss?
In fact, thousands of years ago, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) already researched and experimented on the relationship between the ear and weight loss.
And this 2015 pilot study re-explored and verified the possibility of stimulating the ear for weight loss through modern scientific methods.
In the experiment, researchers used acupuncture, inserting needles 1-2mm deep at specific points on the ear (called acupoints in TCM).
The weight difference before and 1 week after treatment in subjects was significant.
The researchers found that ear acupuncture may reduce appetite by inhibiting the production of ghrelin.
Therefore, we can say there is some correlation between the ear, appetite, and weight loss.
But the fun part is - I couldn't find any direct research on magnetic earrings for weight loss.
Although magnetic earrings have some stimulating effect on the ear, daily wear cannot precisely control the wearing position as researchers did in a lab experiment.
Also, the study above used acupuncture, while earrings were just pressed on the skin.
In fact, my view is that for people who don't want or can't get their ears pierced, magnetic earrings provide a fashionable option.
That's all, please don't elevate such things to a health care level.
Conclusion
OK, guys, we have explored five different methods for losing weight. Each of these methods has its own advantages and limitations.
Based on the information presented in this article, I recommend trying Red Light Therapy as a safe and effective option for weight loss.
You can find all of Scienlodic's red light devices here, make sure to use the code RLT10 to save 10%!
Not only has it been proven effective in multiple studies, but it also has additional health benefits beyond weight loss.
Also, it's important to prioritize your health and avoid blindly pursuing extreme weight loss. Remember to take care of yourself.
Your health is the most important thing.
