Doctor explains how to hack your gut to get ‘the Ozempic effect’ – without having to take the drug
It’s the hit weight-loss drug used by millions of overweight and obese Americans – with 9 million prescriptions written in the last three months of 2022.
But now experts have revealed that you don’t have to take the drug – which doctors are increasingly recommending lifelong use – to reap the full benefits.
In a video on her TikTok channel, internist Dr. De Deck claims there are two ways to reap the benefits of the drug without using it.
The drug, which can help patients lose a fifth of their body weight, works by disrupting the hunger and fullness signals sent between the gut and the brain, speeding up satiety and stopping cravings.
The first way to do this ‘naturally’ according to Dr. Deckis through the gut microbiome – the trillions of healthy bacteria that live in our gut and influence how full or hungry we feel.
‘Ozempic works by increasing GLP1 (a hormone released when we are full), which slows the movement of food from your stomach through your intestines.
‘There is a particular bacterium called akkermansia that has been shown to naturally increase GLP1 levels.’ She explains that this intestinal bacteria is available in stores as probiotics.
‘The probiotic VSL3 has also been shown to increase GLP1.’
Second, what you eat can help increase GLP1 levels.
‘Eating a diet with a ton of fiber has been shown to increase GLP1 levels.’
Fiber is an important nutrient that less than five percent of Americans eat enough of. Dr. Deck recommends eating at least eight to 10 grams of fiber per day, which can be found in foods such as whole grains like oats, legumes like chickpeas and green leafy vegetables.
Approximately 9 million scripts were written for Ozempic in the last three months of 2022 alone
Studies have shown that eating a diet high in fiber — which slows the speed at which food moves through the digestive tract — can significantly reduce the risk of colon cancer and other diseases.
Last month, experts warned that Ozempic’s benefits are often limited because patients come off the drug too quickly, causing them to regain weight.
Recent research published in the journal JAMA on the long-term effects of a similar drug called tirzepatide showed that participants regained almost all the weight after they stopped taking the drug.
The authors said: ‘At least five studies (including the current study) of different classes of drugs, including powerful anti-obesity drugs such as semaglutide, have shown substantial weight regain after quitting.’