Unless you’ve lived on a desert island, you’ve probably heard of Ozempic, the weight-loss drug that’s being hailed as the holy grail for people with type 2 diabetes and now obesity. But have you heard about the latest weight loss trend, oats-zempic?
Slightly more appealing than a weekly injection with side effects like nausea and constipation, oatzempic is the nickname given to a TikTok recipe for a “miracle” breakfast consisting of 8 ounces of water, about 1 ounce of oats, a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of lime, mixed together.
No one drinks this stuff just for fun – it’s thin and tart, with a bit of texture – but online enthusiasts of this oat smoothie claim that, drunk daily as a 40-day ‘challenge’, it’s just as good for weight loss as the Ozempic injection.
‘Lost 9 pounds [4kg] in three weeks!’ is excited about one user. ‘Almost a week in and down 4 pounds [1.8kg]’, another commented.
While it’s not clear exactly where the oatmeal recipe originated, it appears to have gained popularity thanks to a TikTok user known as “The Chorro King” (@fred_ddy92), whose page is dedicated to his long-standing efforts to lose weight falling and who is posting daily videos singing the praises of his ‘oatzempic journey’.
TikTok user ‘The Chorro King’ – who demonstrates the recipe – posts daily videos about ‘oatzempic Journey’
The often repeated message in social media posts is that this drink can help you lose 12 kg [18kg] in just two months.
But this sounds unlikely – and possibly risky. For example, NHS guidelines suggest that safe and sustainable weight loss should be 1-2 pounds (up to 1 kg) per week (or about 16 pounds or 8 kg in two months).
Yet there’s no doubt that more and more people are turning to unverified health advice from platforms like TikTok.
This week, a survey of 2,000 people by nutrition tracking app MyFitnessPal found that 61 percent of respondents are influenced by or often adopt diet trends they find on the platform — and that 30 percent had experienced a side effect from trying a diet. TikTok diet craze.
So is there any connection between the weight loss from Ozempic and that from an oat-based diet – other than a punny name?
‘Ozempic works by mimicking the action of a hormone called GLP-1, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduce appetite,’ explains London-based GP Dr Chandni Rajani.
To a lesser extent, oats can also reduce hunger. That’s because of their fiber content, specifically a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan.
‘This builds up in the gut, making us feel full for longer,’ says independent dietitian Carrie Ruxton.
She pointed to a 2001 study in the Journal of Nutrition that found that eating oats as part of a low-calorie diet resulted in a weight loss of about 4 kg (almost 9 lb) over eight weeks.
Does this mean that oatmeal could be something rare: a weight-loss trend that actually works?
“Absolutely not,” says Mrs Ruxton.
‘The amazing results reported by some TikTok followers are likely due to the effects of intermittent fasting and replacing unhealthy foods with the oat drink.’
Looking more closely at the oatzempic reviews and those who report losing weight while drinking it, users also reveal that they do much more than just add this oat drink to their diet: they fast, restrict calories, and increase their activity levels . in much the same way as any dieter might do.
The reason this recipe is a hit seems to be mainly down to the clever name and the simple fact that oats, like Ozempic, which makes you less hungry, can help you feel full for longer (albeit through a different mechanism).
‘Oats are generally considered a healthy food choice due to their fiber content, but they do not have the same mechanism of action as Ozempic… [though] some people may find them useful as part of a balanced diet for weight management because of their fiber content and potential to reduce cravings,” says Dr. Rajani.
‘However, there is no single food that will help you lose a few pounds – the key is that you are in a calorie deficit,’ says Ms Ruxton.
This means you take in less energy than you expend, causing your body to burn fat for energy.
Nutritionist Carrie Ruxton says you can get the same effect – if not better – with a bowl of porridge, a glass of orange juice (for the vitamin C) and a handful of berries
‘For example, a more recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition from 2010 found that eating oat fiber without the calorie deficit has no effect on weight. There’s no such thing as a quick fix.’
The oats in oatzempic may not directly lead to weight loss, but they are at least not unsafe.
In fact, they are nutritious and provide B vitamins, as well as beta-glucan, which has been proven to lower LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease.
The addition of cinnamon and lime is also potentially beneficial, although these ingredients are present in negligible amounts here, says Ms Ruxton.
‘The lime juice is said to provide a small amount of vitamin C, which supports normal immune function; while cinnamon is known for its anti-inflammatory effects and helps lower blood sugar levels – although the dose used in studies is higher, about one or two teaspoons, much more than the ‘dash’ suggested in the recipe.’
You could get the same effect – if not better – with a bowl of porridge, a glass of orange juice (for the vitamin C) and a handful of berries (for the polyphenols otherwise provided by the cinnamon), she adds, and ‘it probably tastes a lot better too!’