Are Laxatives Safe for Weight Loss?

Indeed, millions of people use laxatives for the weight loss or more correctly, to lose weight quickly.  But are they really effective for their intended use?

Now we will look on what laxatives are, how they function as well as effectiveness of using them in your weight loss program.

What Are Laxatives?

Laxatives are those agents, which are used to ease the bowel movement or, in the treatment of constipation. Constipation is condition whereby bowel movements occur less frequently than usual or are difficult.

There are six main types of laxatives, each working differently:

• Stimulant laxatives increase the movement of digestive system.
• Osmotic laxatives cause the stool to be softened because water is pulled in to the intestines.
• The reason that bulk-forming laxatives are used is because they swell when in contact with water and therefore increase the volume of the stools.
• Saline laxatives draw water into the small intestine to stimulate the bowel movements.
• Lubricant laxatives can cover stool and the surface of the colon thus facilitating passage of stools.
• Stool softeners help the stools to become hydrated so that passing of stools becomes easier.

Though laxatives have their central role in the treatment of constipation it has many controversies regarding their usage for the purpose of weight loss.

How Effective Are Laxatives to Make You Lose Weight? 

People have a tendency of taking laxatives with an aim of losing a few pounds within a very short span of time, what they do not know is that the few pounds that they are likely to shed are mostly water-balance and the accumulation is not long-term.  For instance, there are several researches to indicate that over 4% of the population abuses laxative products.

Laxatives that attract water to the intestines can give a feeling of weight loss after defecation, but what has been lost is just water and not fat.  This effect is temporary, and as the body tissue takes back fluids, the weight returns again with a vengeance.

The use of laxatives appears to be a poor strategy to manage body weight in a small sample of 30 participants with bulimia nervosa categorized by binge eating and purging. Other research studies showed that the overweight and obese adolescents were more inclined to use laxatives but these sources failed to support in losing fat. 

Risks of Using Laxatives

• Dehydration

In particular, as the research stated that the side effects of laxatives have been proven to include dehydration mostly. Some of the laxatives have the ability of drawing water in the intestines, and then expelling it through feces.

If you don’t replace this loss through enough fluid intake, you may become dehydrated. The signs of dehydration include headaches, feeling of fatigue, dry skin, dizziness and excessive thirst.

• Electrolyte Imbalance

Sodium, potassium and magnesium which are electrolytes are an important component in the normal functioning of the body. Laxatives also affect the electrolyte balance of the body resulting in some of the more familiar side effects such as muscle weakness, arrhythmia and confusion.

Laxatives cause side effects of losing some vital electrolytes in the body. This may lead to uneven level of electrolyte which is one of the worst effects that come along with the abuse of laxatives.

A 24 patient study revealed that these laxatives altered the procedure of sodium and potassium levels.  In another study of 2270 patients, it was established that a common type of laxatives for colonoscopy raised the odds of developing an abnormality in this compound. 

• Dependency

While it is acceptable that people will take some kinds of the laxatives especially if used for short term, the perception that will always associate itself with dependency when taken in long term is actually true.

This could be particularly so with products termed as stimulant laxatives, which belong to a class of drugs intended to make muscles in intestinal tracts to contract in view of initiating bowel movement.

However, the vast majority of evidence in support of laxative dependency is primarily anecdotal evidence only.

Other Possible Side Effects of Laxatives

Laxative use has been associated with a number of other dangerous side effects, including:

• Muscle Breakdown (rhabdomyolysis): A case that associating abuse of laxatives with muscle tissue damage as well as leakage of toxic protein in the blood was shown.

• Digestive Issues: If taken on a consistent basis, a laxative begins to affect the function of the GI tract as was evidenced by the patients with the recovered anorexia.

• Liver Damage: According to the authors of the case study, one of the patients was adversely affected by laxatives and suffered liver injury.

• Kidney Failure: Another case study showed that the abuse of laxatives appeared to put the patient in severe acute kidney injury that needed dialysis to filter wastes and toxins in bloodstream.

Safer Alternatives for Weight Loss

If you are employing unhealthy techniques of losing weight such as the use of laxatives, purging or severely restricting your diet then you should stop and talk to your doctor.

There are many alternatives, safer and more effective methods of getting slim without risking your health.

• Eat more fruits and vegetables: It does not have many calories, but has a lot of fiber. Looking at the facts it is possible to draw a conclusion that if a person uses many fruits and vegetables then, most probably, his or her weight will be low.
• Increase your physical activity: Weight loss and prevention of regaining it, is possible with aerobic exercise; that should be done several times a week.
• Reduce your portion sizes: Less food means fewer calories, and thus less fat, less sugar, less salt etc. It also said that even using the small plates can make people eat less.
• Eat a high-protein breakfast: Usually, those who take their protein in the morning can actually decrease their hunger and the meals they take in the entire day.
• Decrease your intake of added sugars: Most sugar products contain many calories, and are low in almost all nutrients and lead to weight gain.  Studies have noted that consumers of SSB are likely to become obese.

The Bottom Line

Laxatives are one of the best cure for the constipation issue because one is able to pass stool frequently.  That means, the use of laxatives cannot create the necessary effect for patients to lose weight sustainably.

If the goal is weight loss, change the eating plan a little and be physically active most of the time.  Such solutions are less risky, possible and at times even better in the long run.