Antidepressant Medication Linked to Long-Term Weight Loss

Past studies have shown that people who are depressed are more likely to be overweight. This could be due to a combination of factors, including being more sedentary as a result of the depression or overindulging in “comfort” foods as a method of coping. Unfortunately, most anti-depressant medications are linked to weight gain, further compounding the problem.

New research by Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) demonstrates that bupropion – marketed under the name Wellbutrin – is a medication that is linked to long-term modest weight loss.

The team, who published their research in The Journal of Clinical Medicine, found that patients followed over two years lost an average of 2.4 pounds on bupropion versus those taking fluoxetine (Prozac), who gained an average of 4.6 pounds.

Advertisement – More Below

Subscribe to EmaxHealth on YouTube

Unfortunately, however, the effect was not seen in those who continued to smoke. Bupropion is also used under the name Chantix to help patients quit smoking. Smokers often gain weight while they are trying to quit, as they often replace cigarettes with food.

“Our study suggests that bupropion is the best initial choice of antidepressant for the vast majority of Americans who have depression and are overweight or obese,” said study leader David Arterburn, MD, MPH, the senior investigator at GHRI and an affiliate associate professor in the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine.

Just keep in mind that not everyone can take bupropion, such as those with a history of seizure disorder, so it is important to discuss all health conditions with your physician to find the best treatment plan individualized to you.

Journal Reference:
David Arterburn, Tamar Sofer, Denise Boudreau, Andy Bogart, Emily Westbrook, Mary Theis, Greg Simon, Sebastien Haneuse. Long-Term Weight Change after Initiating Second-Generation Antidepressants.Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2016; 5 (4): 48 DOI: 10.3390/jcm5040048

Photo Credit: Photo by Pixabay, no attribution required

Antidepressant Medication Linked to Long-Term Weight Loss

The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-term Health

The groundbreaking science behind the surprising source of good health

Stanford University’s Justin and Erica Sonnenburg are pioneers in the most exciting and potentially transformative field in the entire realm of human health and wellness, the study of the relationship between our bodies and the trillions of organisms representing thousands of species to which our bodies play host, the microbes that we collectively call the microbiota. The microbiota interacts with our bodies in a number of powerful ways; the Sonnenburgs argue that it determines in no small part whether we’re sick or healthy, fit or obese, sunny or moody. The microbiota has always been with us, and in fact has coevolved with humans, entwining its functions with ours so deeply, the Sonnenburgs show us, humans are really composite organisms having both microbial and human parts. But now, they argue, because of changes to diet, antibiotic over-use, and over-sterilization, our gut microbiota is facing a “mass extinction event,” which is causing our bodies to go haywire, and may be behind the mysterious spike in some of our most troubling modern afflictions, from food allergies to autism, cancer to depression. It doesn’t have to be this way.

The Good Gut offers a new plan for health that focuses on how to nourish your microbiota, including recipes and a menu plan. In this groundbreaking work, the Sonnenburgs show how we can keep our microbiota off the endangered species list and how we can strengthen the community that inhabits our gut and thereby improve our own health. The answer is unique for each of us, and it changes as you age.

In this important and timely investigation, the Sonnenburgs look at safe alternatives to antibiotics; dietary and lifestyle choices to encourage microbial health; the management of the aging microbiota; and the nourishment of your own individual microbiome.

Caring for our gut microbes may be the most important health choice we can make.

Click Here For More Information

The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-term Health