How the Ozempic hormone works – and ways to increase it naturally
They have been the-most-talked-about drugs of the last decade, maybe even the century. The new fat-shedding jabs can help people shed up to a fifth of their body weight and bring a raft of health benefits, including reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease.
But if you’re hoping to get your hands on these “miracle” drugs, you may need to think again. There are strict criteria on the NHS, with the drugs reserved for those who are clinically obese, with a BMI of over 30. The bill for a private prescription is hundreds of pounds per month and then there’s a range of side effects to contend with, from mild digestive discomfort and the dreaded “Ozempic face” – wrinkled and sagging skin due to swift weight loss – to kidney failure.
But there’s an alternative. The new generation of weight loss drugs, including Wegovy, Saxenda and Mounjarno, have been designed to mimic the hormones that control our appetite, though at a turbo-charged rate. Some doctors believe you can amplify these processes naturally, simply by adding certain foods to your diet.
How does the hormone work?
When we eat, our intestine produces two hormones called incretins: glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).
When scientists discovered, in the 1990s, that incretins tell the pancreas to release insulin, they developed drugs mimicking their effects to treat diabetes (which occurs when the pancreas produces none or too little insulin), explains John Wilding, a professor of medicine at the University of Liverpool.
“It was later discovered that these hormones (particularly GLP-1) also play a part in the ‘satiety system’ that signals to the brain when we are full after a meal,” he says.
This led to the development of the wave of obesity-fighting drugs that are hotly discussed today: semaglutide, known better by its brand names Wegovy (for weight loss) or Ozempic (for Type 2 diabetes), and liraglutide, known as Saxenda.
These drugs imitate the actions of GLP-1. They target the appetite control centre in the hypothalamus area of the brain to reduce hunger pangs; slow down the rate the food leaves the stomach, leaving users feeling fuller for longer; and tell the pancreas to release insulin, which lowers blood sugar.
While the naturally-occurring GLP-1 is broken down in the bloodstream in a matter of minutes, semaglutide, given as a weekly injection, lasts for at least seven days and is more powerful, says Prof Wilding. Liraglutide, however, doesn’t last as long and a daily jab is required.
But both help users eat less without having to rely on willpower. Studies have shown that semaglutide can help people shed up to 20 per cent of their body weight and Novo Nordisk, the Denmark-based company that makes it, has become the most valuable in Europe as a result. In a study for liraglutide, participants lost 8 per cent of their weight, on average.
As well as fat loss, research suggests that semaglutide may protect against the complications of obesity. “We now know that the GLP-1 analogues such as semaglutide are able to prevent problems such as heart attacks and strokes when used on a sustained basis for four years or so,” says Tricia Tan, a professor of metabolic medicine and endocrinology at Imperial College London.
But with these impressive results comes unpleasant side effects. Digestive problems, including nausea and vomiting, are common. Inflammation of the pancreas, kidney failure and gallbladder problems are also listed as side effects and weight gain after ending treatment is common.
Another option is tirzepatide, branded as Mounjarno. It acts like both GLP-1 and GIP and has been found to be even more effective at suppressing appetite, helping patients drop up to 22.5 per cent of their body weight. Medical bodies have signalled that they intend to approve this drug in the UK but are yet to give it the green light.
“Tirzepatide is a little more effective than semaglutide at helping people lose weight, but it is currently not completely clear whether this medication has the health benefits that we know semaglutide has,” Prof Tan says.
How can we get a similar effect through our diet?
If you don’t want to turn to weight loss drugs but feel like you’re battling against your appetite, studies suggest that some foods can raise levels of GLP-1 – acting like a natural form of Ozempic.
Cook with oil and butter
Though high in calories, eating oil and butter can help reduce hunger levels, says Dr Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist and weight management expert.
In one study, participants ate soup with white bread either on its own, with 80g of olive oil or with 100g of butter. Results show that the oil and butter raised incretin levels 2.5-fold higher than eating the soup and bread alone. To get the same effect, simply add butter or oil to food when cooking, Dr Fung says.
Eat 3g of protein per kg of weight
Tripling protein intake, from around the recommended 0.75g per kg of body weight per day, to 2 to 3g of protein per kg each day, can put people off snacking and overeating, he says.
“It is already known that eating protein leads to greater satiety. For example, if you eat a steak versus if you eat cookies or drink pop, you know you feel more full,” Dr Fung notes.
But a study confirmed that people who followed a diet that was 30 per cent protein – who ate chicken at breakfast, a tuna and feta salad with yogurt and soy milk at lunch and meat with rice for dinner – compared to 10 per cent protein, had lower levels of hunger and 50 per cent increased GLP-1 levels.
“This may be related to the GLP effect – the higher protein leads to higher GLP, which leads to less hunger because that’s the effect of the satiety hormone,” he says.
Pack in the fruit and veg
Fibre, found in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and beans, has been found to boost the amount of GLP-1 released by the body.
“If you eat more fibre, you’re getting a double-whammy effect,” Dr Fung says. Fibre bulks out food, so increases stretch receptors in the stomach, which leads to GLP-1 production, and it is digested slowly, which leaves people fuller for longer, he explains.
Dr Fung recommends eating more high-fibre foods, such as fruit, vegetables, beans and lentils, and eating them before carbohydrates such as bread and pasta, to increase satiety.
Eat bitter gourd
You may struggle to find it in your local supermarket, but bitter gourds are thought to increase GLP-1 levels and therefore bring down hunger, a study found.
“That’s exactly how Ozempic works for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and the bitter foods may be doing the same thing,” says Dr Fung.
The study only looked at bitter gourds but other bitter foods or drinks may have the same effect, he says. “You could add bitters to drinks, as they are usually used with gin and tonic,” he adds.
Have a curry
The spice turmeric features in most curries but it is curcumin, a bright yellow chemical found within the spice, that has a “significant GLP effect” and therefore naturally decreases hunger, says Fung.
Other spices also used in curry, such as cinnamon and fenugreek, also have the same effect, he says.
He recommends making curries with meat, fish or vegetables and adding turmeric to feel fuller.
