How exactly do popular medications like Mounjaro 2.5 cause weight loss?
Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) 2.5mg works by acting on two hormone receptors: GLP-1 and GIP. It aids insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, stimulates the brain's satiety center to reduce food intake, and slows gastric emptying, making you feel full faster even with smaller portions.
Essentially, these medications forcibly send a signal to the body saying, 'You've had enough to eat.' While the pharmacological mechanism of modern medicine is very precise, these drugs can cause a sharp decline in digestive function, leading to side effects such as nausea or dizziness. Having experienced the struggle of extreme dietary restrictions myself, I empathize with these challenges.
From the perspective of Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we do not view this simply as a matter of 'appetite suppression.' A sudden, drastic reduction in intake can easily lead to 'Bi-heo' (脾虛), or Spleen Deficiency, which weakens the digestive system and impairs nutrient absorption, leaving you feeling chronically fatigued.
Furthermore, if the body has an accumulation of 'Dam-eum' (痰飮, phlegm-fluid retention) or 'Eo-hyeol' (瘀血, blood stasis), the risk increases. Without addressing these, the body may fail to recover its original metabolic capacity after stopping the medication, creating the perfect environment for a yo-yo effect. While pharmacological aid in reducing intake is helpful, it must be accompanied by a process to improve the body's own 'metabolic efficiency' to burn energy naturally.
Clinician review