Yeah I was wondering the same, when reading about acarbose but seems the opposite. It is not that commonly prescribed not even for prediabetics and in some countries in Europe it is phased out… I was thinking that since it is a cheap and generic pharma is more interested in lobbying for glifozins…
ps. maybe it is not only gas but also the facts that you need to remember taking it before every meal… gas gets sorted out with time.
Yeah. TBH…that was the tricky part… carrying enough pills easily. My little keyring works perfect. More often than not I am sitting at the table … meal already started… then damn… almost forget my Acarbose. Easy to whip out and pop in your mouth.
Highly recommend getting something that can attach to keys or put into the change pocket of your pants.
I keep a pack in my wallet and then pop out a pill whenever I start eating. I do believe that Acarbose may help me to shed a few pounds.
Wanted to report I have started on Acarbose for the first time. I dosed 25 mg per meal for the first two days and then bumped to 50 mg for the last three days. I have noticed the aforementioned increase in gas and farting, but am pleasantly surprised by the lack of smell of same. Granted, I always try to reign in my carbs and don’t eat much from the “wheat arena”, so that may be why. I’m going to wait for another 7 days before bumping to 100 mg per meal. I’m then going to add on Canaglaflozin 100 mg starting the following week. Interested to see if I can see an additive effect on my post meal glucose spikes.
If someone is on a very low carb diet, would taking Acarbose still provide health related benefits?
We don’t know for sure, but it seems the answer is “maybe not” given for both cangliflozin and acarbose the method of action (for longevity) seems to be blood glucose spike reduction.
Though Acarbose does other things… I’ve seen reports it increases mTOR2, which is good for lifespan enhancement, see this new paper: New Paper: Targeting the Biology of Aging with mTOR inhibitors
and it changes the gut microbiome…
Thanks Rap Admin for the reply. I asked the question given I tried Acarbose for about a month but the bloating was uncomfortable. It did not give me much gas but did not like the bloating feeling. So was wondering if it was worth giving it another try if benefits are too good to pass up.
Personally, I think the bloating is a good side effect. It makes me feel fuller, so I eat less. Hopefully, this will translate into weight loss (which acarbose supposedly does).
As I am progressing, I have less flatulence and more bloating. Fortunately, the flatulence is non-toxic (no stench). It’s just a little loud. I am taking 100 mg with each meal.
I wonder if long term use of acarbose is wise, several papers have been reporting that the body develops acarbose resistance over time :
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-023-00796-w
I’ve personally have not seen any glucose lowering with acarbose, it just didn’t seem to do anything when looking at my cgm readings.
Contrast that with inulin, which even at 5g, gives me gas.
Perhaps it’s good to optimize acarbose for maximum gas? Any gas reduction => inactivation of the drug?
I don’t think so… the gas seems to be highly variable, depending on your diet and types of starches. I certainly hope so, anyway. The gas can be a little overwhelming when its bad… its not so bad now that I’ve switched my diet away from wheat based products.
This week I lost 5 pounds. The only major change recently has been the Acarbose use.
I promised an update after starting Acarbose. I dosed it 25 mg per meal for the first week, then dosed it 50 mg per meal since and have noticed that the very mild gas I experienced week 1 had completely disappeared by the end of week 2. I have noticed no difference in the gas regardless of what I eat. The one caveat is that I do not eat much in the way of wheat based products, so that may be the key.
I dont have bad issues with weat, it if ithas added sugar its a different story 
And they pretty good at that these days 
I find Acarbose to be a wonder drug. It’s the only intervention that has caused me to lose weight. The mild bloating makes me feel full sooner so I find myself eating less without feeling hungry. This has led to a nice weight loss. I hope it continues. Also, I am experiencing less diarrhea and intestinal discomfort than before. Another great reason to take Acarbose.
Then there’s the fact that carbohydrates digested in the large intestine turn into small chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which lower blood pressure and are both neuro and cardio protective. Much better than sugar which is what you would get if your carbs are digested in the small intestine.
Acarbose is amazing. Instead of sugar and glucose spikes, you can get SCFAs. You’re trading a negative health effect for a positive one. Thanks, Acarbose! (Why isn’t everyone taking this???)
The SCFAs have many health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, anticancer, cardiovascular protective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities .
Health Benefits and Side Effects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids - PubMed.
Fecal macronutrient output was unaffected by acarbose, but pH decreased and total SCFA, butyrate, and acetate output were markedly greater. Breath hydrogen output increased after acarbose, but digoxin-metabolizing bacteria and diacylglycerol (DAG) production were unaltered. Compared with the control, acarbose did not induce hyperplasia or change rectal proliferation. However, total fecal SCFA and butyrate output correlated inversely with proliferation in the rectal upper crypt-a biomarker of risk for colonic neoplasia. In conclusion, long-term acarbose administration does not adversely affect colonic function or fecal nutrient output. If increased fecal SCFA and butyrate reduces upper-crypt proliferation, then acarbose may reduce the risk of colonic neoplasia.
Colonic neoplasia are essentially polyps that may lead to cancer, so acarbose reduces colon cancer risks.
Looks like artisanal apple vinegar also inhibits glucosidase and amylase.
α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities of artisanal and industrial apple vinegar.
Samples α-Amylase IC50 (µg/mL) α-Glucosidase IC50 (µg/mL)
AAV 16.32 ± 0.01 156.53 ± 0.07 ***
IAV 152.86 ± 0.06 4024.28 ± 5.12 ***
Acarbose 35.42 ± 1.00 1100 ± 1.00
Note the IC values for artisanal apple vinegar are lower than acarbose. (16.32 versus 35.42 for amylase, and 156.53 versus 1100 for glucosidase.).
That might explain the anti-aging benefit of some substances like coffee, tea (polyphenols), and reuteri yogurt (aside from oxytocin).
The most important promoters of iron absorption in foods are ascorbic acid, lactic acid (produced by fermentation), meat factors in animal meat, the presence of heme iron, and alcohol which stimulate iron uptake by inhibition of hepcidin expression. The most important inhibitors of iron uptake are phytic acid/phytates, polyphenols/tannins, proteins from soya beans, milk, eggs, and calcium. Oxalic acid/oxalate does not seem to influence iron uptake. Turmeric/curcumin may stimulate iron uptake through a decrease in hepcidin expression and inhibit uptake by complex formation with iron, but the net effect has not been clarified.
Wanted to follow up one last time (I hope these updates aren’t boring anyone). I am now up to 100 mg acarbose per meal (I’ve titrated slowly to this from 25 mg per meal over a 3 week period). I am also on Canagliflozin 100 mg each morning. To test how these two are doing I went on an all out feeding frenzy over the long weekend. I noticed greatly attenuated glucose spikes and very little in the way of gas or GI discomfort. I’m very pleased with the combination. My wife is also on the combination and she has noticed a weight loss of 10 lbs so far.
Can you tell me where you are getting your acarbose from?
I was looking at agelessRx but the cost is 24 pills for $75. Seems high to me.
