Is there such a thing as natural Ozempic?

GLP-1 agonists are highly effective medications, so it's not exactly surprising that the hunt is on for a so-called “natural Ozempic.” After all, there’s always someone who’d rather treat a headache by tapping peppermint oil on their temples instead of popping acetaminophen, or drink ginger tea for an upset stomach instead of taking an antacid. 

While Ozempic is only FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, studies show it also promotes weight loss — so, people tend to think of it as a GLP-1 for weight loss, like Wegovy or Zepbound. But is there anything at a farmer’s market that can actually replicate what these drugs do? Here's what to know about so-called natural GLP-1 alternatives.

Key Takeaways

• GLP-1 medications help you lose weight by mimicking a hormone that makes you feel full and reduces appetite.

• Certain foods can boost your natural GLP-1, but they’re a lot less powerful than the medications.

• Berberine shows some promise, but most “natural Ozempic” supplements are just hype. (Sorry!)

GLP-1, which is short for glucagon-like peptide-1, is a hormone your gut naturally releases when you eat. “That hormone tells your pancreas to release insulin, slows how fast your stomach empties, and tells your brain you're full,” says Jennifer Maeng, R.D., a registered dietitian in New York City. All told, it helps you feel full more quickly, regulates your blood sugar, and lowers your appetite. 

Ozempic (along with Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 medications) are GLP-1 agonists — meaning they mimic the GLP-1 hormone and its effects in your body. That added appetite control and uptick in satiety leads to weight loss, while the uptick in insulin helps keep blood sugar in check after meals.

The short answer is no, says Alma Simmons, RDN, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State University. “This is probably one of the greatest misconceptions on the internet, especially social media,” she says. 

Technically, all foods stimulate GLP-1, since it gets released as part of the digestive process. And while some foods can help you boost that built-in response, it’s nothing like what a GLP-1 medication can do.

The difference is largely in both the staying power and overall impact. Injectable GLP-1 medications are designed to activate the GLP-1 receptors in the body continuously and for about a week, according to Simmons. Meanwhile, foods “only stimulate the body's own GLP-1 release, which lasts only minutes, and is smaller in magnitude [than what medications do],” says Simmons. This release can also “vary greatly between individuals.”

When Maeng sees a supplement that bills itself as “nature’s Ozempic,” her take is that “it can potentially nudge blood sugar down and slow digestion,” she says. But there’s no evidence that it can in any way replicate the effects of an actual GLP-1 medication, especially when it comes to weight loss.

By eating certain foods, you can theoretically make the most of your body’s natural GLP-1 release. While the resulting effect on weight and appetite may not rival GLP-1 medications, they’re nutritional elements that deserve a spot on your plate anyway. Here’s a breakdown.

Fiber-rich and fermented foods

Fiber gets top billing as a natural Ozempic alternative, thanks to its ability “to increase satiety and improve post-meal glucose,” says Simmons. “In addition, fiber also plays a role in better digestion and insulin sensitivity.” So, it can have similar effects as a GLP-1, albeit on a much smaller scale. 

Many foods linked to a slight boost in GLP-1 tend to be prebiotic fibers, according to Maeng. “Your gut bacteria ferment those fibers into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) like butyrate, and short-chain fatty acids stimulate the cells in your intestine that release GLP-1,” she says. These include fiber-rich favorites like:

• Oats 

• Legumes like beans, peas, and lentils  

• Leeks 

• Onions

• Garlic

• Apples

• Pears 

Fermented foods, like prebiotic foods, are also promising. The thinking is that fermented foods, which include yogurt, miso, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, and tempeh, deliver live microbes to your G.I. system. “Those support a more diverse microbiome and calm inflammation in the gut, and a less inflamed gut signals hormones more effectively,” says Maeng. In other words, a healthy gut can better respond to those foods that “signal” a release of GLP-1. 

However, “ human intervention trials have not consistently shown that fermented foods alone can increase GLP-1 levels,” says Simmons. So they matter, but so does everything else you eat.

Lean protein

Protein is worth prioritizing when you’re trying to lose weight for a lot of reasons; it helps you maintain muscle and can help you feel full. But it might spur a GLP-1 boost, too. “GLP-1 is released by cells lining the intestine when nutrients arrive there, and the response is dose-dependent — meaning more nutrients produce more signals,” says Maeng. And more signals may translate to more GLP-1. “Protein and fat are potent stimulants [for these signals],” says Maeng.

Healthy fats

On top of helping trigger a release of GLP-1, healthy fats — such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts — also have a similar action in the gut: They contribute to satiety and slow gastric emptying, which can help you feel full more quickly and for a longer period, according to Simmons. So consider their impact on GLP-1 a nice perk, but not a proven advantage.

How you eat, not just what

Food sequencing can help boost GLP-1, even though the effects are pretty small. “There is evidence that meal sequencing supports GLP-1 release — for example, eating protein and fiber prior to carbs — can have a positive impact on blood sugar and release of GLP-1 hormones,” says Simmons. But again, nothing really beats having a balanced diet. “Build the meal well and the hormone takes care of itself,” says Maeng.

Weight-loss supplements have always been hit or miss, and figuring out what’s effective and (maybe more importantly) what’s not has only gotten harder with the rise of GLP-1s. Here’s what hasn’t made the cut just yet.

Berberine

The plant extract berberine has been referred to as “nature’s Ozempic,” but so far, it hasn’t really earned that title. We’ll start with the good news: “It’s been shown to help people modestly lose weight and improve their blood sugar levels,” says Simmons. The key word there is “modestly,” which here amounts to “not much.”

On top of that, there’s no human evidence that berberine raises GLP-1 at this time. “The studies behind that claim were conducted in mice and in cultured cells, and no trial has measured GLP-1 levels in people taking it,” says Maeng. In the trials, berberine seemed to cue the cells responsible for releasing GLP-1 to produce and create more of the hormone — but again, in humans, the effect is small. In other words, it’s enough to be noticeable in a clinical setting, but not so much that researchers would ever recommend you swap it in for the real thing.

Also, it can have some gastrointestinal side effects since high doses are required, according to Maeng. Plus, “berberine also interferes with the enzymes that metabolize many prescription medications, so anyone taking one should speak with their prescriber before starting it,” she says.

“GLP-1 booster” supplements

Like berberine, for most natural GLP-1 supplements that claim to serve as “nature’s Ozempic” or boost the hormone, “there is no data that these products can mimic the effects of a GLP-1,” says Simmons. Unlike medications, supplements are not approved by the FDA for safety or efficacy. While there’s some positive research associated with certain ingredients like psyllium fiber and whey protein, Simmons says, “there is not enough to compare them with GLP-1 medication.” 

Other viral claims

Certain ways of eating aren’t quite as important as social media influencers might have you think. Take eating slowly, for example. “The trials are inconsistent, with some showing a higher hormonal response to a slower meal and others showing no difference at all,” says Maeng. (It’s still worth slowing down, since this gives your body time to signal that it's full, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a hormonal payoff, she says.)

The same goes with timing your meals. Being consistent with your meal times can help regulate your appetite and stabilize blood sugar, but it doesn’t seem to impact your GLP-1.

At the end of the day, GLP-1s are far more powerful than any food or supplement, because the former actually mimics the real hormone versus nudging your gut to make more. After all, “prompting a small, brief release of your own hormone is different from having a drug sitting on those receptors continuously,” says Maeng.

On top of that, she says, GLP-1 works directly on the hunger, fullness, and reward circuitry in your brain. Even if you load up on oats and apples, for instance, “you're still negotiating with your appetite as well as your relationship with food,” Maeng says.

The evidence on GLP-1-boosting foods just isn’t strong enough to back up any one food. Instead, a program like Weight Watchers can help you prioritize foods rich in protein, fiber, and other filling nutrients. This approach helps to curb hunger, lessen cravings, and support weight loss. 

Plus, the Med+ Program makes it easy to access real, proven GLP-1 medications (if you qualify). Instead of just prescribing meds and sending you on your way, though, the program gives you total support at every step, through nutrition, activity, and community — to help you maximize your weight loss and overall well-being.

Wondering how to increase GLP-1 naturally? While the idea of natural Ozempic alternatives seems compelling, they’re not a real one-to-one swap. The injectable medications are unique in that they actually act like an extra supply of these hormones, and they can last for up to a week. While GLP-1 foods like fiber and protein can increase your body's own release of GLP-1, it has nowhere near the amount nor the staying power of medication. And while berberine and other natural GLP-1 supplements get a lot of top billing on social media, there's not enough evidence to say that these rival medications. That said, eating a GLP-1 diet (of sorts) rich in these macronutrients can still help you feel full faster and for longer than, say, refined carbs, so it doesn't hurt to add them to your plate.