- Researchers are studying natural alternatives that can mimic the effects of GLP-1 injections like Ozempic.
- Natural alternatives may be important due to cost and accessibility of GLP-1 injections, potential side effects, and individual focus on more natural healthcare.
- There are some natural ingredients, such as caffeine, protein, and green tea that may help boost your metabolism.
In recent years, GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro have helped transform the way experts treat type 2 diabetes and manage weight. However, they have also offered new insights into the power of our own gut hormones.
These insights include the understanding that signals from the gut to the brain suppress the appetite and help to control blood sugar levels.
This has led researchers to dive further into drug-free alternatives that may trigger the same things.
Researchers from Heliopolis University in Cairo, Egypt, recently published a review of the existing evidence in the journal Toxicology Reports, assessing how the natural hormone that is produced in the gut, called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) might be affected by natural compounds from diet.
This is the same hormone targeted by GLP-1 drugs. At this time, experts have identified no natural compounds found that can exactly replicate the effects of GLP-1 injections.
However, early research suggests that certain foods and the timing of meals may be useful in regulating GLP-1 hormone activity in the body, and thus potentially “rewiring” hunger and satiety cues.
The researchers who conducted this review noted that one of the reasons they are searching for natural alternatives to the GLP-1 injections is because of cost and accessibility.
Many people who may benefit from these injections may not be able to afford them. Natural alternatives may prove to be more accessible and less expensive.
Another reason this research is important is because of the potential adverse effects of the GLP-1 injections. While these injections are generally well tolerated, there are certain gastrointestinal side effects that may occur, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.
These side effects may cause some people to not take the medications as prescribed.
Some people may also believe that natural remedies are better suited to a more holistic view of their health. This may mean they would be more likely to choose them over conventional medicines.
The researchers also note that searching for natural alternatives to GLP-1 injections is not about giving up on medications that have been successful.
“It’s about increasing treatment options and personalizing it to each patient’s preferences and needs,” the researchers wrote.
The review notes that the natural compounds preliminary research is focusing on as potentially mimicking the effects of GLP-1 drugs include cinnamon, wheat, ginger, fermented green tea, and berberine.
All of these compounds could modulate GLP-1 secretion and expression, research cited in the review has suggested.
Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center noted that there are caveats to natural alternatives to GLP-1 injections. He told Medical News Today:
“Natural ingredients may help boost metabolism. However, it is a mild effect. These [compounds] should not be considered an alternative to the GLP-1 medications like Ozempic.”
Ali advised people to keep in mind that the naturally occurring ingredients may help with weight management to a mild degree, but only if combined with proper nutrition and exercise. There is no substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle whether someone is using natural ingredients or taking the GLP-1 medications.
According to him, these natural ingredients work in different ways, “either by stimulating the central nervous system to boost metabolism (caffeine), promote fat burning (green tea extract, capsaicin), or activating other enzymes (berberine).”