Do Laxatives Help You Lose Weight | Why You Shouldn’t Use Them

Do laxatives help you lose weight? Is this question popping up in your head?

If you’re trying to lose weight and wondering if laxatives help with the process, this article is for you.

A study was done by a group of researchers to find out how effective laxatives were as a weight-loss method.

The study found that people who took laxatives lost no more weight than those who didn’t take any laxative at all, and both groups gained the same amount of muscle mass.

Well, this is good info to start with.

Now let me answer the other questions in your head about laxatives for weight loss.

What Is a Laxative?

A laxative is a drug that causes evacuation of the bowels.

Laxatives are used to promote bowel movements in people suffering from constipation.

They can also be used to flush out your system when you have taken certain medications or poisons, or before a medical imaging test, or if you have an intestinal obstruction.

The types of laxatives vary according to their effect on the body and the treatment they’re useful for. Laxatives can be drugs or natural remedies.

The most commonly used laxatives are those that stimulate the nerve endings in the rectum and those that increase water absorption from the small intestine into the colon, which stimulates bowel contractions.

How Do Laxatives Work?

They’re a very popular weight loss method because they allow you to lose weight fast.

However, you should know that laxatives don’t work as well as people think.

The truth is that laxatives remain in the body for only several hours, and the amount of calories you’ll be able to eliminate from your body is so small, so you won’t see much weight loss results after a few days of taking laxatives.

The most common way people use them is by taking an over-the-counter pill or by using enema which causes water to enter the large intestine quickly.

The water goes into the bowel and causes a rapid loosening of stool, which passes through the anus quickly and someone feels a lot lighter afterward.

Laxatives & Weight Loss

The issue with laxatives is that they can’t burn away body fats, and even if they do, the results will be temporary.

They work by irritating the lining of the intestine and stimulating fluids to flow into it through osmosis, which causes a bowel movement.

People who use laxatives need to know that these drugs aren’t able to perform a thorough cleaning of a person’s system.

They can cause dehydration and can leave you feeling tired, dizzy or confused.

If you have been taking laxatives over a long period of time in order to lose weight, it is very important that you stop doing so because you’re likely to be damaging your colon in the process which leads to long-term health problems.

Do Laxatives Remove Water Weight?

Laxatives help you lose weight in a short period of time because they cause temporary dehydration.

Because the amount of water lost is so little, it’s very easy to gain all the weight you’ve lost and more back when you start drinking and eating normally again.

Also, taking laxatives frequently over a long period can lead to mineral and electrolyte imbalances in your body which can lead to serious health problems down the road.

If you’re using laxatives in order to lose weight, I recommend that you stop the use of them immediately because they’re dangerous for your health, and they won’t help much with your weight loss goals.

Laxatives Can Be addictive

Another reason why you shouldn’t use laxatives to lose weight is that they can be addictive.

They can cause a sense of false well-being and comfort which in turn creates a psychological dependence.

Laxatives cause the bowels to move regularly, which makes people believe that they help heal your digestive system and cleanse your body.

It’s important that you know that if you’re using laxatives, you’re treating the symptom (constipation) instead of the problem (your digestive system).

It’s best that you visit your doctor if you want to get rid of the root causes of your constipation instead of taking laxative pills all day long.

Do Laxatives Help You Lose Weight?

Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t use laxatives to lose weight:

They’re not very effective.
They can be addictive.
They can cause electrolyte imbalances.
They don’t work for long periods of time.

What Can You Do Instead?

Instead of using laxatives, I recommend that you eat a proper diet, exercise regularly and drink plenty of water in order to get rid of constipation.

These three things will improve your digestive system and make it function properly instead of using laxatives which are just masking the problem, not solving it.

You should also be aware that any weight lost using laxatives is most likely to be regained in a short period of time, even if you stop.

Like I said, they don’t work in the long term.

Laxatives are not at all effective when you’re trying to lose weight because when your body becomes dependent on the laxative to move your bowels, it’ll stop when you quit taking it.

You will quickly regain any weight lost if you stop taking laxatives, and this will make you feel down about your body.

If you want to keep the weight off for good, I recommend that instead of using laxatives to lose weight, you start exercising regularly.

Exercising can help you burn away body fats and improve your digestive system which solves the problem at its source.

You won’t experience a weight loss plateau if you change your diet to a healthy one and start exercising regularly, so don’t keep using laxatives to lose weight.

Potential Risks of Laxatives

1. Rectal Bleeding

If you’re using laxatives to lose weight, here’s something you should know.

It can cause rectal bleeding which can become chronic if you keep taking laxatives without consulting your doctor.

2. Mineral and Electrolyte Imbalances

If you have been taking laxatives over a long period of time in order to lose weight, they can affect your body’s mineral and electrolyte balance.

In most cases, people start feeling symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or leg cramps.

These symptoms can last for a week or even more after you stop taking the laxative.

3. Possible Addiction with Addictive Properties

Because they can be addictive, many people fail to see any results from using laxatives.

They get used to taking laxatives every day just because they’re addicted to them.

If you’re using laxatives, you need to stop the use of them immediately because it can cause serious health problems.

4. Chronic Constipation

Laxatives cause your bowels to move smoothly without discomfort, so you will fail to notice any abnormalities in your digestive system if you use these drugs regularly.

But if you keep taking laxatives all the time without visiting your doctor, it can permanently damage your colon which leads to long-term health problems.

5. Dry Mouth

Laxatives can cause dry mouth because they inhibit saliva production, which is necessary for digestion.

If you’re using laxative pills to lose weight, stop taking them immediately and replace them with water instead.

Staying hydrated is very important for your overall health and proper digestion.

6. Dehydration

Dehydration is another side effect of laxatives that you should know about.

If you’re using laxatives in order to lose weight, dehydration is quite likely to happen because they cause the body to lose potassium, sodium and water contents which are all required for normal functioning.

Dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalances in your body which can cause serious health problems when left untreated.

7. Lack of Appetite

Laxative abuse can cause a lack of appetite because they have a drying effect on your mouth and throat, which is why you might experience dryness when taking them.

This is something that you should avoid at all costs because if you don’t eat, you’ll lose weight.

8. Possible Bowel Obstruction

If you’re using laxatives to lose weight, here’s something that you should be aware off.

If your digestive system becomes clogged up with dry stool which contains hard plastic fibers, it can cause bowel obstruction.

For this reason, I highly recommend that you don’t use laxatives to lose weight.

9. Weight Gain

Laxatives may help you lose some weight initially but they can also interfere with your body’s metabolism so you will gain all the weight back even when you stop taking them after some time.

Laxatives are not meant for long-term use, but many people fall into the trap of using them all the time to lose weight, only to gain it back later on.

Other Dangers of Using Laxatives

Dependence on laxatives to empty the bowels might be very addictive.

It’s a vicious cycle of using laxatives and not eating healthy, but the real problem is that your body needs nutrients from food, not from chemicals in a pill or an enema.

If you start eating healthy, your body won’t need the laxative anymore because it will get what it needs from food instead of from chemicals.

The enema solution can disturb the bacteria that live in your bowels.

If you like to use enemas to make yourself poop, don’t! It’s the same as taking a laxative.

I suggest you drink more water and eat more fiber in order to get rid of constipation.

You don’t need to use an enema because it doesn’t work for long periods of time and does nothing for your digestive system.

Constipation is very harmful and can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.

So I suggest that you stop using laxatives and start eating more fiber in order to get rid of the problem at its source instead of merely masking it with drugs.

Some people take laxatives with food to help them lose weight.

Unfortunately, this can cause a multitude of food-borne illnesses because you could be consuming hard plastic fibers from your stool which you have been passing from your bowels.

In most cases, these plastics are not completely digested and will pass through our digestive tract where they can cause food poisoning if ingested.

In fact, the recent study shows that about 500 grams of plastic is ending up in our poop every year on average.

Moreover, laxatives can damage the lining of the colon which can lead to long-term health problems.

Because they cause dehydration, there is a risk of electrolyte imbalance in your body when using laxatives for weight loss in this manner.

When you take too much or too often, it can result in dehydration, malnutrition and serious health problems because you’re not eating properly and you’re not giving your body what it needs to function well on its own.

Variation in absorption of nutrients can occur which leads to an imbalance between vitamins, minerals etc.

Because laxatives alter your digestive system, they can alter the absorption of nutrients from your food.

This leads to an imbalance between nutrients and vitamins because you’re not getting what you need from food.

Many people have attested that they want to use more and more to get the same effect over time.

While taking laxatives for weight loss sounds like a good idea at first, you have to remember that they have a serious impact on our digestive system so it’s not a good idea to rely on them long term.

If you want a healthy body, I recommend that you start eating real foods again instead of using laxatives because our body needs real nutrients from healthy foods in order for us to be healthy.

Abusing of laxatives depletes calcium from your bones which is essential for bone development.

Calcium is an essential mineral that is required for bone formation.

If our diet lacks calcium, our body will take it from our bones in order to carry out normal bodily functions, so it’s necessary for us to have calcium in our bodies.

If you have been using laxatives over a long period of time in order to lose weight, it is very important that you stop doing so because they’re likely to be damaging the health of your colon and making you more susceptible to diseases like cancer down the road.

I recommend that instead of using laxatives to lose weight, you start eating healthy and exercising regularly.

These two things will make your bowels work properly and remove any constipation immediately without the use of any pills or enemas at all.

Laxatives Can Be Harmful To Your Health

As I’ve mentioned above, laxatives are very dangerous for you because they can damage your digestive system over time, and this will cause long-term health problems that you don’t want to experience at all.

For example, if you take diuretics for too long, you’ll need to take them less frequently in order to maintain proper hydration because your body can’t metabolize water as well as it should.

In this case, your body will dehydrate and the toxins from that dehydration will be released into your bloodstream.

As your body dehydrates, you can feel tired all the time, have headaches, irregular bowel movements, some nausea and more.

This is because some of the toxins released into your bloodstream are very harmful to your health, so it’s important that you use laxatives less frequently in order to prevent or minimize their negative effects.

To summarize this section of my article on laxatives for weight loss, I recommend that you don’t use them at all if you want to lose weight.

There are better ways to lose weight which don’t cause any bad side effects on your body.

You should exercise regularly instead of using laxatives to lose weight because they’re not effective long term and can be dangerous for your health in general.

5 Natural Laxatives That Help In Weight Loss

I know you’re on this post because you’re looking for some weight loss solutions. Here I’m gonna suggest 5 natural laxatives that can help you lose weight.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar contains acetic acid which helps to temporarily relieve constipation.

This is a healthy ingredient that is beneficial to the body and promotes a clean digestive system.

Water With Lemon Juice

Lemon juice has a sour taste that stimulates the intestines to help you go to the bathroom more easily.

Just pour some lemon juice into your water and drink it.

This natural laxative will help you lose weight because it will make your bowels work faster, remove toxins from your body and flush out any excess fat from your body as well.

Drinking lemon juice in water can also help you lose weight because it contains many nutrients.

Avocados

Avocados are full of fiber and they help to stimulate the movement of food through your digestive system and move it out faster.

The fiber in them also helps to remove toxins from your body and clean it. The fiber will also keep you regular by making you go to the bathroom regularly.

This will help you lose weight because you’ll be taking off fat faster than it can be absorbed into your body.

Papaya

The fibers in papaya can also help to make your bowels move through easily and make you go to the bathroom more often, which will help you increase the rate at which you lose weight fast.

Papaya also has many natural nutrients that will help you lose weight.

Apple

The fibers of apples can help to make your bowels move faster, which will help you maximize the rate you’re losing weight at.

Apples also have many nutrients that are good for your body and will help you lose weight fast.

Water

Water is one of the most essential things for your body to drink every day.

Water helps the fat burn process because it contains electrolytes which help your body maintain a healthy balance between water and sodium.

Drinking water also detoxifies your body and flushes out toxins that can be harmful for your health.

Bananas

Bananas are a very healthy food to eat because they contain a lot of potassium.

Bananas also help to speed up the digestion process and increase your bowel movements.

Eat one banana after your normal meal and you will feel the effects within a few minutes.

These natural laxatives are very effective in helping you lose weight because they can help you go to the bathroom more efficiently which results in better bowel movements as well as increased weight loss.

Frequently Asked Questions About Laxatives

1. What are laxatives?

Laxatives are medications which are used to stimulate the bowels so that they can work properly.

There are several different types of laxatives which doctors prescribe to patients so they can go when they need to.

Some of these medications can be taken occasionally while others are prescribed daily because constipation is a very common problem.

2. What should I know about taking laxatives?

Before taking any type of medication, you should always talk to your doctor first because there may be contraindications or side effects that you’re not aware of which could hurt your health.

Some people take laxatives daily without consulting their doctor, and there are certain types of laxatives which can be dangerous for you if you take them too frequently.

3. Should I take laxatives every day?

You should only ever take a laxative if it’s prescribed by your doctor, and you should never take more than two kinds of them during a single day.

They’re not good for your health at all and they can cause side effects like diarrhea and bloating for some people which can be uncomfortable and painful as well as unpleasant, so it’s recommended that you don’t use them.

4. How do laxatives work?

Laxatives stimulate the bowels so they can move more often and retain the proper amount of water in them.

Before taking a laxative, you may feel constipated or have a hard time going to the bathroom, but after taking it, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is for you to go.

Laxatives are very effective for some people because they’re designed to improve bowel movements after just a short amount of time.

5. What kind of laxative should I take?

Most doctors prescribe some sort of stimulant laxative as their first line of defense against constipation because stimulants work best for most people who need laxatives regularly.

As I’ve mentioned above, don’t take any laxatives unless they’re prescribed by your doctor because you’re likely to experience some annoying side effects which aren’t desirable no matter how small they are.

6. What do laxatives do to your body?

Laxatives stimulate the bowels in order for it to work properly, and when you take a laxative, your bowels move normally and you don’t feel constipated anymore.

For many people who suffer from constipation, this is something they can benefit from because their bowels aren’t working properly and this can cause them to be uncomfortable sometimes.

7. Do laxatives have side effects?

All types of medications have side effects, so it’s important that you know what they are before you start taking any type of medication.

The most common side effect that people experience when using laxatives is diarrhea, but this is only temporary and it will go away in a few hours or less depending on the type of laxative you’re using.

Other side effects include headaches, dizziness and abdominal cramps which usually go away after a short period of time too.

8. Do Laxatives Help Lose Weight?

Some people take laxatives in order to lose weight, and they believe that these pills can help them to lose a lot of weight quickly.

It’s important to remember that using a laxative regularly is not a good idea because it will cause long-term health problems that you don’t want to deal with.

Laxatives can cause diarrhea, and this is something that promotes the rapid loss of water from the body.

9. What is Laxative Abuse?

In addition to using laxatives to lose weight, many people will take laxatives over a long period of time in order to make their bowels work properly.

While this is a common practice, it’s not recommended because it will only cause long-term health problems that you don’t want to deal with.

Some people will also take laxatives in order to live a more regular life, and they may even take them when they travel or when they need to go on an extended trip somewhere.

For example, some people who travel frequently may use laxatives the night before their flight so they can make it on time without having any problems with constipation due to the change of climate and place of residence.

Others might take laxatives when they’re on a retreat or something like that, in order to make sure that they can go when they need to.

This is not recommended because if you’re not used to laxatives, using them all of a sudden can cause you to experience some serious side effects which are likely to be dangerous for your health in general.

It’s not recommended that you use laxatives in any case unless it is prescribed by your doctor in order to cure constipation issues.

Laxative addiction occurs when people take these pills too often without consulting their physician, and they cause the bowels of the person taking them to work improperly.

Final Thoughts on Do Laxatives Help You Lose Weight

Yes, a lot of people do use laxatives for weight loss purposes, but that’s not a good idea because these types of medications help with constipation issues which are supposed to be treated by the very same things.

Constipation cannot be cured unless it is diagnosed and treated by a doctor, and this is something you need to know before starting any type of diet or exercise program.

If you are trying to lose weight, talk to your doctor before taking laxatives for this purpose because if you don’t, you could end up gaining back the weight that you’ve lost because of the side effects it will cause to your body.

Dieting is not something that should be attempted without first consulting your doctor first.

Therefore, I highly recommend you ditch laxatives, start a health diet, get regular workout sessions. This way, you’ll definitely lose weight safely.