So, What is the Orlistat?
It is a drug designed for the treatment
and prevention of obesity, this being understood as the excessive
accumulation of fat. There are several classifications, however for
practical purposes, according to the BMI (Body Mass Index) we have that a
person can be with low weight, adequate weight, overweight, obesity
type I, II, III, and IV.
Excess fat comes from inadequate
nutrition, which does not accumulate in a day or a week, it is a result
of constant abuse that may be years or months. It causes exhaustion and
weakness, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, sleep disorders,
respiratory problems, arthritis, among other diseases.
In the intestines there is an enzyme called "Pancreatic Lipase"
which is responsible for hydrolyzing triglycerides from food fatty
acids to be absorbable and used as a source of energy for the rest of
the body.
Orlistat acts locally at the level of the
intestine, irreversibly inhibiting the activity of this enzyme. This
prevents that at least 30% of the fatty acids from the intake are
absorbed. It should be noted that only about 1% drug is absorbed,
meaning that it does not enter the bloodstream or suffer the effects of
the first step in the liver, so it is considered safe.
Studies have shown that it decreases
cholesterol levels (it has been shown that it also inhibits 25% of its
absorption), blood pressure, improves insulin resistance associated with
Metabolic Syndrome and Polycystic Ovaries, since there is a decrease in
fatty acids free in the system.