Is it possible to lose weight on an 'Ozempic' diet? Drugs like Ozempic have allowed many people to lose weight they were unable to shift before. Could a diet have the same effect without the need for a prescription? The emergence of weight-loss drugs (agonists) including Ozempic and Wegovy has turned the medical world upside down in recent years. Glucogen-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists have proved effective in helping obese people lose weight by reducing the users' appetite, so they eat less. But alongside the hype, there have also been claims that we can easily mimic the drugs' effects with the foods we eat. One social media trend, for example, suggests that drinking a concoction of oats blended with water and lime juice - nicknamed 'oatzempic' - acts as an appetite suppressant and helps people lose weight in the same way. But can any diet or individual food or drink really come close to the effects of Ozempic?

Can an "oatzempic" diet really work? What are GLP-1 weight-loss drugs? The new generation of weight-loss drugs mimic a process that naturally occurs in our bodies every day. When we eat, our guts produce the hormone GLP-1, which increases insulin levels in our blood, reduces the liver's sugar production, slows digestion and reduces appetite. GLP-1 hormones are "master regulators" of our body's whole metabolic process, says Chris Damman, gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor at the University of Washington. Can we mimic GLP-1 with diet? The two main elements of our diet that are associated with GLP-1 are fibre and polyphenols. Mary Sco, a resident physician and nutrition writer in Virginia in the US. When we eat foods rich in fibre and polyphenol, MedicGLP Website these components are converted by our gut microbiome into short-chain fatty acids, which stimulate the production of GLP-1. Foods high in fibre include nuts, legumes, fruit and vegetables, while polyphenols can also be found in fruit, vegetables and nuts.

Another important nutrient for metabolism is monounsaturated fat, which has also been associated with raised GLP-1. This can be found in olive oil, avocado and nuts. This process also starts before food reaches our gut. Research shows that the bitter taste of polyphenol-rich foods triggers our taste receptors to send signals to the gut to produce digestive hormones including GLP-1. Naturally raising GLP-1 levels in the body isn't just about what we're eating - but also how we eat, says Sco. Researchers write in a 2020 review that there is some research to suggest that eating foods high in protein, such as meat and eggs, MedicGLP and vegetables, before carbohydrates, leads to higher GLP-1 levels compared to eating carbs first. However, they say that the mechanisms behind this are largely unknown. The time of day you're eating may also make a difference to how much GLP-1 our bodies produce. There is some research to suggest that the body produces more GLP-1 when eating a meal early in the morning, compared to eating later in the evening.

This effect is linked to the natural changes to our hormone levels throughout the day, and eating early in the day supports the body's circadian rhythm, researchers wrote in the 2023 paper. It would make sense, therefore, that eating a diet rich in fibre, polyphenols and monounsaturated fat would ensure we're producing lots of GLP-1. However, modern Western diets are currently lacking in the elements that produce the most GLP-1, says Damman. Do drugs or diets work better? While for some people, a balanced diet and active lifestyle are enough to lose weight, for others, the GLP-1 agonists are necessary, Damman argues. For others, eating a diet rich in fibre, polyphenols and monounsaturated fats can be an effective way to control our appetites, Sco says. Ultimately, a diet that encourages natural production of GLP-1 diet is full of whole foods, including fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts, says Damman. That people could be discovering this by attempting to mimic the effects of weight-loss drugs is an irony not lost on some nutritional scientists, including Damman.