Recently, my pretend scientist boyfriend (just go with it), Dr. Andrew Huberman, from the Huberman Lab at Stanford made a post about the origins of Semaglutide and how it suppresses hunger which results in rapid and mindless (I say mindless because it takes away the food brain, so the obsession that generally appears when we are trying to lose weight or not gain literally disappears). Other than helping medspas bring it thoughtfully and legally into their practices (because if you own a medspa, this is a no brainer) I had no idea its’ origin story started in the U.S. desert.
Carnivorous Beginnings
The story of semaglutide starts with the Gila Monster, a somewhat terrifying looking venomous lizard native to the United States’ desert regions. In the early 1990s, researchers discovered that the saliva of the Gila Monster contained a hormone, exendin-4, which was later found to influence blood sugar levels. This hormone mimics the human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is integral to insulin secretion and blood sugar regulation.
Pronounced (HEE-LA) these little buggers live underground 95% of the time and pop up only to feed on bird eggs, baby rabbits and squirrels. They also like to sunbathe, but really – who doesn’t.
Development of GLP-1 Analogs:
Building on the unique properties of exendin-4, scientists embarked on creating synthetic versions that could be used in human medicine. This culminated in the development of various GLP-1 receptor agonists, and semaglutide was one of them. Unlike the short-lived natural hormone, semaglutide was designed to have a longer duration of action, making it more practical for medical use.
Semaglutide’s Impact on Medicine:
Approved by the FDA, semaglutide was marketed to type 2 Diabetics because of its ability to regulate blood sugar levels and promote insulin secretion. However, its benefits extended beyond just glycemic control and it was proven to be effective in weight management, helping achieve and maintain substantial weight loss, which led to its approval as a treatment for obesity.
The Effects on Health and Wellness:
Today, semaglutide is celebrated not only great for weight loss and management but the subsequent health issues that accompany having extra lbs such as cardiovascular disease make this an important treatment for overall wellness.
Semaglutide in the Medspa Business
If you are considering adding Semaglutide to your medspa business it is important to not only have all the facts about how to do this legally depending upon which state you live in, but also the best way to market it to would be clients in order to take advantage of the financial benefits it can provide.
We have helped a number of medspas introduce Semaglutide into their business – if you would like to have a complimentary consultation to get the ball rolling please contact me at Shannon@vitalityventuresgroup.com or send a general inquiry to contact@medspamastery.co.
