Weight Loss is among the most desired things for many people across the world. While many undertake the proper, guided way to lose weight with diet control and exercise, a lot of people go through shortcuts, which may be harmful in the long run.
Diuretics or water pills have long been used by people hoping to lose a few kilos, but are they truly an effective supplement for weight loss?
There has been a significant rise in the popularity of weight-loss drugs that help your body release water, resulting in quick changes on the scale. According to experts, a rapid weight loss may happen, but it would not be for the long term.
However, diuretic medications reduce blood pressure and swelling by increasing the amount of fluid that passes through your kidneys into your urine, which helps eliminate extra fluid from your body, including sodium and potassium.
This would lead you to experience rapid weight loss, but it would simply be water loss and not fat loss. So, as soon as you rehydrate, you will put the weight back on, making the diuretics unsuitable as a weight loss shortcut.
How do diuretics work?
At least 60 per cent of your body is made of water, which is important for most bodily functions. Diuretics help reduce the amount of fluids, working mostly in three different ways – loop, thiazide, and potassium-sparing.
These increase the amount of water and sodium you excrete but have different effects on how much potassium and calcium come out of your body.
Do diuretics cause a healthy weight loss?
Experts say diuretics help treat many health conditions and so are medically extremely important. Urinating more often, due to the usage of diuretics does temporarily reduce the number on the scale, however, losing just water weight is not a sustainable weight-loss tactic.
According to experts, you lose more body water and get dehydrated due to the constant use of diuretics. As soon as the water returns to the body, the weight is typically regained.
However, for those suffering from congestive heart failure and who have extra fluid, it can improve heart failure symptoms like shortness of breath and swelling.
Benefits of diuretics
Diuretics help treat a variety of health conditions with minimal chance of side effects. They are also used as the first line of treatment for high blood pressure. A few other uses for different diuretics include:
- High intracranial pressure cerebral edema or brain swelling
- Glaucoma
- Altitude sickness
- Kidney failure
Side effects of diuretics
Experts say taking diuretics only for the purpose of weight loss can cause:
- Serious complications like arrhythmias
- Diabetes
- Pancreatitis
- Frequent dehydration which can be life-threatening
- Hyperkalemia or the presence of too much potassium in your blood
- Low sodium levels
- Chronic headaches
- Dizziness and nausea
- Increased thirst
- Imbalanced blood sugar levels
- Muscle cramps
- Allergic reactions
- Higher chances of developing gout due to high uric acid levels
