Is it safe to lose weight with laxatives?

Losing weight can be done in many ways, mainly by adopting a healthy diet and exercise. However, there are also those who choose shortcuts by taking laxatives (constipation relievers). There are many assumptions that say if this drug can make you lose weight. However, is it safe to do so?

Why is this drug used for weight loss?

Laxatives (laxatives) are used to treat constipation by thinning the stool and helping to push it out of the body. However, a study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that 10.5% of women ages 23 to 25 use this drug to lose weight.

However, on what basis does this drug become a trend for weight loss? According to research, there are several types of constipation medications that work by drawing water from the body to the intestines. This allows the stool to absorb more water so that the stool is passed more smoothly. Well, the reduced water in the body is what causes the relative weight to decrease.

Laxatives make you lose weight, but…

However, not a single study has approved its use for reducing body weight. On the contrary, researchers confirmed that losing weight by taking laxatives is not an effective way. Why? Here are some reasons.

1. Can cause dehydration

Its function is to soften hard stool requires a lot of fluids in the body. After the stool is soft, the fluid will be wasted too. If you don't drink a lot of fluids, you run the risk of dehydration. This condition is usually characterized by headaches, urine discoloration and less discharge, feeling very thirsty, weakness, dry skin, and dizziness.

2. Laxatives do not remove body fat

Losing weight means that you have less body fat. This differs from the effect of the laxative you are taking. Even though the body weight decreases, there is still fat in the body. Only the water content is reduced.

Losing weight is not from fat, but from water content. So, losing weight is only temporary. If fluid intake is again fulfilled, the body weight will return to its original figure.

3. Electrolytes in the body are not balanced

Electrolytes are substances that dissolve in water and function to help cells and tissues work normally. Examples of body electrolytes include chloride, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphate.

Constipation medication can cause some electrolytes in the body to be lost so that the amount is imbalanced. This condition can cause seizures, confusion, and coma. All of these conditions are dangerous side effects of constipation drug abuse.

4. Causes dangerous side effects if used long-term

The use of constipation drugs to reduce body weight is indeed fairly practical. However, there will be many negative side effects for the health of the body, including:

• Digestive system damage. Digestive and pancreatic function can be impaired if laxatives are continued when you are not constipated.
• Liver and kidney damage.Just like other drugs, if not used properly, the possibility of liver and kidney function will decrease. Over time the liver and kidneys will be damaged and will be more difficult to treat.
• Rhabdomyolysis.Laxatives can induce rhabdomyolysis, resulting in damage to muscle tissue and release of harmful proteins into the bloodstream.

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