Retatrutide Benefits

Retatrutide is being developed by Eli Lilly and is the first injectable weight loss drug of its kind. This once-weekly injection is showing promising results in the continuing clinical trials for both weight loss and improving other serious health conditions.

Today we are going to give you an overview of this new weight loss option, how it works, how it compares to other weight loss injections, retatrutide’s benefits, and when it is likely to become available in the marketplace. 

What Is Retatrutide?

Retatrutide is a peptide that is designed to target three specific receptors in the body, which include the GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors. It is available by prescription and is administered by subcutaneous injection to treat obesity and help with weight management. It is meant to work alongside the natural hormones produced by your body to help enhance the regulation of your appetite, improve your blood sugar levels, and optimize the rate your body burns calories for energy.

Retatrutide Benefits

Although retatrutide is still being studied in clinical trials and has been since August of 2023, the results to date have been impressive. This much-anticipated medication to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity has already demonstrated many benefits, including:

1. Significant Weight Loss

One of the biggest benefits of retatrutide that has been established during the clinical trials is the significant weight loss potential. In a phase 2 study, individuals suffering from obesity who were taking the higher doses of retatrutide experienced an average weight loss of around 24% of their total body weight during the 48-week trial. This is the highest and fastest level of weight loss achieved compared to any other existing weight loss medication.​

Sustainable weight loss helps reverse or prevent conditions like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and more.

2. Improvement in Fatty Liver Disease

Another benefit that retatrutide has shown during the trials is the improvements it can make in metabolic conditions such as steatotic liver disease (MASLD) or more commonly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

In a smaller group of participants with fatty liver disease, retatrutide injections led to significant reductions in liver fat. More than 90% of patients receiving 8 mg or 12 mg doses of retatrutide had their liver fat return to normal levels.

3. It Helps Regulate Blood Sugar

One of the biggest metabolic benefits of retatrutide weight loss injections is that they help keep your blood sugar stable. by activating the GLP-1 receptors that are naturally produced by your body and help boost insulin production (the hormone that moves sugar from your blood into your cells). This slows down the release of another hormone called glucagon, which raises your blood sugar, and together, this combination helps keep your blood sugar from spiking after you eat. When your blood sugar is stable, it helps reduce food cravings and lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

4. It Improves Insulin Sensitivity

Retatrutide also activates your naturally occurring GIP receptors, which can help your body respond better to insulin. When your cells become more sensitive and responsive to insulin, your body does not need to release as much of it, which makes it easier to burn fat rather than store it.

5. It Increases Calorie Burn (Thermogenesis)

Retatrutide turns on your glucagon receptors to optimize how fast and efficiently your body burns calories and breaks down fat to use for energy. It also increases your resting metabolic rate, meaning you will burn more calories even when you are resting or sleeping. This helps you lose weight faster because it makes it a bit easier to create a calorie deficit.

6. It Helps Decrease Inflammation

Although more research is needed, the findings in these early studies are showing that retatrutide benefits may also include reducing low-grade inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is common in people who are suffering from obesity and is linked to several serious health issues, including heart disease.

7. It Improves Other Metabolic Hormone Function

Besides helping people lose weight and reduce fat in their liver, retatrutide also helps other hormones produced by your body to work more efficiently. It can improve how your body uses insulin and also raise the levels of a hormone called adiponectin, which helps break down fat and also assists with keeping your blood sugar balanced.

Preliminary findings also report that retatrutide also appears to help lower triglyceride levels, which is a type of fat in your blood, and to balance your leptin level, which is the hormone that makes you feel full or hungry. Often, carrying excess fat causes these hormones to become unbalanced, making it much harder to lose weight. Leveling out these hormones helps to get your metabolism working better and reduces the risk of developing serious health conditions.

How Does Retatrutide Work?

Retatrutide helps you lose weight by working with three special hormone receptors that are naturally made and released in your digestive system when you eat. These natural receptors are responsible for controlling hunger, balancing your blood sugar, and managing how your body uses the calories you consume. The three hormones that are mimicked by retatrutide include:

  • GLP-1 Receptor: This hormone helps your body make more insulin, which lowers your blood sugar, makes you feel full sooner, and prolongs the length of time you feel full by slowing down how quickly food leaves your stomach.
  • GIP Receptor: This hormone also helps balance insulin and helps optimize your metabolism so your body burns fat better.
  • Glucagon Receptor: This hormone helps your body burn more calories in a shorter length of time and helps break down stored fat to use for energy, which results in weight loss.

Retatrutide promotes significant weight loss because it assists three vital digestive hormones at the same time. It helps curb your hunger, convert calories into energy, burn stored fat, and keeps your blood sugar properly balanced.

Is Retatrutide Better Than Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy, both of which, like retatrutide, are GLP-1 receptor agonists. They are both already approved by the FDA for weight loss and type 2 diabetes management. Both have been shown to deliver blood sugar control and weight loss benefits, but unlike retatrutide, which targets three hormone receptors, semaglutide only targets GLP-1.

So far, clinical trials have demonstrated that retatrutide can lead to greater weight loss compared to semaglutide, and it appears that the triple-receptor formula used in retatrutide may offer increased benefits over semaglutide. As previously stated, patients using retatrutide lost around 24% of their body weight over 48 weeks, but semaglutide users experienced around 15-17% in weight loss over a 68-week period during clinical trials.

Additionally, retatrutide appears to have a more significant impact on reducing liver fat, which may make it a better solution for people with obesity and weight-related metabolic conditions.​

FAQs About Retatrutide

Does Retatrutide Increase Metabolism?

Yes, retatrutide can increase the function and efficiency of your metabolism. Mimicking the combination of three hormones and activating the glucagon receptors can increase how fast calories are burned and how well fat cells break down. These boosts to your metabolism and the decrease in food cravings can work together and help you lose a substantial amount of weight.

How Long Does It Take for Retatrutide to Work?

To date, the clinical trials have shown that individuals using retatrutide weight loss injections experienced significant weight loss and metabolic improvements within 24 to 48 weeks of treatment. However, everyone’s body responds differently to weight loss solutions, and individual responses will vary. Some people may experience health benefits or weight loss earlier or later depending on their dosage and the lifestyle changes they adhere to.

Does Retatrutide Put You in Ketosis?

No, retatrutide does not induce ketosis, as this is a metabolic state that involves elevated levels of ketone bodies, which is typically achieved through a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. Retatrutide helps with weight loss through appetite suppression and increased calorie burning, but without altering carbohydrate metabolism to the extent required for ketosis.​

What About the Safety and Side Effects of Retatrutide?

Retatrutide has been well-tolerated by most of the participants in the clinical trials, with the most common side effects reported being virtually the same as other GLP-1 medications and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach upset. These gastrointestinal symptoms are usually mild to moderate, and most should diminish gradually as your body adjusts to the medication.

More importantly, to date, there has been no significant liver toxicity observed in patients using retatrutide in the clinical trials, even in patients with existing liver conditions.

These are promising results, and when FDA-approved, retatrutide can offer a solution for sustainable weight loss for individuals suffering from obesity and related metabolic disorders.​

Where Can I Find Weight Loss Medication Near Me?

If you are looking for a medical intervention to help you lose weight without surgery, MySlimMed can help. If you have been struggling with your weight and feel like nothing is working, you are not alone. Many people try diets, workout plans, and other strategies, but unfortunately most people need more than willpower to achieve sustainable weight loss.

Prescription weight loss medications can help overcome many weight loss challenges and allow you to finally reach your goals for better health. At MySlimMed, you will work with Dr. Angelina Postoev, who understands how hard weight loss can be and has years of experience in obesity treatment. She works directly with her patients to find the safest and most effective weight loss option for their needs and circumstances.

MySlimMed offers access to GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, and while these medications are not magic, they can produce significant weight loss results when combined with a low-calorie, healthy diet and exercise.

If you are ready for a real solution, MySlimMed is ready to help you get started. Set up your consultation today.

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