Once developed as a diabetes drug, metformin is said to protect against cancer. Two experts took a closer look at the alleged miracle pill.
Prof. Dr. Volker Limroth, Dr. Gert Wirtz / T-Online
Many people fear aging. The drug metformin should make this a thing of the past. It is thought to be a means of slowing down or slowing down our aging process. What is this miracle pill all about? Professor Dr. Dr. Volker Limroth, chief physician and neurophysiologist at the Clinic for Neurology and Immunology in Cologne-Mehrheim. Gerd Wirtz clarifies.
What is metformin?
Metformin has been around since the late 1960s and was originally developed as a diabetes medication (type 2 diabetes). It lowers blood sugar and inhibits the production of new glucose in the liver. Not only is less sugar produced in the body reaching the blood stream, but insulin release is also inhibited. It slows cell growth and slows the growth of tumors that can cause cancer.
This is how metformin works.Collection: www.imago-images.de
Metformin's effect on cell growth was discovered by chance. A central organ of the immune system, called the thymus, was studied as part of a joint study by the University of California and Stanford University. It is most active between the ages of 20 and 25 and sorts out the worst immune cells.
to the people
Dr. Gert Wirtz A neurologist, clinical evaluator and digital health specialist. His specialty is Future Medicine, Prof. Dr. Thomas Kurscheid and Professor Dr. Volker Limroth answers your questions about a better and longer life in the “Healthy & Healthy” podcast.
Ten men aged 52 to 65 who took part in the study were given five different hormones, vitamins and drugs – including metformin – for a year. At the end of the study period, the active area of the thymus increased again in size. In addition, other factors that improved the organism's resistance to cancer became favorable. Test subjects reported that they had more energy and less gray hair.
A metformin package.Collection: www.imago-images.de
Given these surprising results, further studies are currently underway to find out if this is the miracle cure we have been hoping for in metformin. Researchers at America It is currently supporting 3,000 people between the ages of 65 and 79 for more than six years — with a total of $75 million in private funding — and monitoring their physical changes caused by metformin.
Who should not take metformin?
Metformin is already a kind of lifestyle drug in the US and is used by many people to lose weight, in Europe it is (still) subject to a prescription, so you can only get it after a thorough medical examination. In general, people with kidney failure, heart or liver disease should avoid taking it.
Are there alternatives?
If you don't want to take a miracle pill (yet) and instead want to rely on natural methods to keep your body healthy, you can rely on well-known measures:
- Get enough exercise, 10,000 steps a day
- Exercise regularly so that you are not at risk of exceeding your ideal body weight. Being overweight leads to increased insulin levels, which damage blood vessels and age you faster
- Remember to eat a healthy and balanced diet, ie: plenty of fruit and vegetables, enough fiber and vitamins and little animal fat.
- Always avoid smoking and consume only large amounts of alcohol
Anyone who follows these methods lays a good foundation for staying healthy in old age. And without all the new “miracle treatment”.
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