See also: laxatives; natural laxatives; laxative herbal tea; laxative foods
Because they are used
Laxatives are not a happy choice for weight loss. In fact, although many people resort to purgatives to lose weight quickly, this is a real affront to human health and intelligence.
The use of laxatives for weight loss is linked to their ability to promote the loss of body fluids; since water represents about 65% of body weight, the dehydration induced by purgatives moves the needle of the scale in the much sought after direction.
The second mechanism by which laxatives help "lose weight" consists in reducing the amount of nutrients absorbed, given that they significantly accelerate intestinal transit.
Side effects
The abuse of laxatives for weight loss is to the detriment of one's health, given that the much sought after effect is associated with unpleasant undesirable effects, such as diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain, weakness, exhaustion, electrolyte imbalance (hypokalemia), dehydration and, in case of prolonged use, alterations of intestinal flora (dysbiosis), colonic melanosis, osteomalacia and hypotonic colitis (with consequent chronic constipation).
Not surprisingly, laxatives are not among the drugs approved for weight loss; instead, there are specific medicines that follow the action, but with much more contained side effects; this is the case, for example, of acarbose (which reduces intestinal absorption of carbohydrates) and of orlistat (which reduces intestinal absorption of fat).
Caution
The abuse of laxatives is often a sign of an underlying eating disorder, given that these products are often used improperly by bulimic women, as an alternative elimination method to self-induced vomiting.
Useful laxative supplements
Ultimately the use of laxatives for weight loss is a completely irrational choice; the only products of the category that can be used for this purpose are mass laxatives. These are vegetable fiber-based products, such as psyllium and flax seeds, guar gum, bran, pectin etc., which on the one hand increase the sense of satiety by swelling in the stomach, and on the other they modulate and slow down the absorption of nutrients.
These laxatives should be taken before meals, together with abundant amounts of water, in the quantities specified by the producer and preferably placed side by side with a supplement of vitamins and mineral salts, type multicentrum, if taken for long periods. Instead, laxatives for weight loss should be avoided (cascara, senna, aloe, frangula, rhubarb, phenolphthalein, bisacodyl, dulcolax, sodium picosulfate, guttalax and castor oil), normally taken at the end of a meal to reduce nutrient absorption.
