A British scientist claims to have created a ‘natural Ozempic’ pill that controls appetite without the debilitating side effects of weight loss injections.
Taken twice a day, Elcella capsules contain just three ingredients: flaxseed oil, also known as linseed, coconut oil, and MCT oil, which is also derived from coconut.
Together, these trigger the release of hormones in the gut (glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, and peptide YY), which cause feelings of satiety.
Slimming drugs like Ozempic, Wegov, and Mounjaro work by mimicking GLP-1, but they also cause nausea and other distressing and even life-threatening side effects.
Meanwhile, a clinical trial by Elcella showed that obese patients reduced their calorie intake by 18 percent on the pills and reported no complications.
Dr Madusha Peiris, inventor of Elcella, and her colleague Dr Rubina Aktar, from Queen Mary University of London, hope the discovery will “solve the global obesity epidemic”.
Dr. Peiris added: “The tragedy of obesity is that you lose a lot of the ability to know when you are full.”
‘We discovered that a combination of nutrients activates the hormones that control appetite, so you eat less and lose weight.
British scientists say they have created a ‘natural Ozempic’ pill that controls appetite without the sometimes debilitating side effects of weight loss injections.
Taken twice a day, Elcella capsules contain just three ingredients: flaxseed oil, also known as linseed, coconut oil, and MCT oil, which is also derived from coconut.
“Our discovery means we have a new way to help people get healthy.”
Elcella is not yet available for purchase, but is expected to launch in April 2025.
It is currently available to eligible patients as part of a controlled clinical trial, and potential volunteers can learn more on the website. Elcella website.
So are the claims too good to be true?
According to a review 2022Flaxseed oil is a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid, which can contribute to the reduction of body weight in people with obesity.
Other reviewThat same year, flaxseed supplements were suggested to cause a significant decrease in the perception of hunger and appetite, a reduction in food consumption, and feelings of fullness.
MCT, which stands for medium chain triglycerides, is derived from coconut oil and, according to some preliminary research, may also help with weight loss.
A 2013 study MCT oil consumption was found to increase the level of hormones responsible for feeling full in men with obesity.
Slimming drugs like Ozempic, Wegov, and Mounjaro work by mimicking GLP-1, but they also cause nausea and other distressing and even life-threatening side effects.
This feeling of decreased appetite led the study participants to eat less food.
However, experts say more research is needed before it is possible to say with certainty that these compounds can be compared to weight loss injections.
In trials, patients taking semaglutide (the drug from Ozempic and Wegovy) lost about 15 percent of their body weight, and this figure was maintained as long as they continued taking the drug.
Tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro, causes weight loss of 20 percent or more.
The news comes as UK health chiefs warned that those buying weight loss vaccines on social media sites risk buying dangerous fakes.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said unregulated beauty salons and “fake” online pharmacies were selling the drugs, leaving patients vulnerable to potentially contaminated versions.
Health officials have already seized more than 600 fake weight loss injection pens across the UK since the beginning of 2023.
These often contain the hormone insulin, a medication that can cause palpitations and hypoglycemia, a potentially fatal reaction when blood sugar levels drop dangerously, if taken incorrectly.
In trials, patients taking semaglutide (the drug from Ozempic and Wegovy) lost about 15 percent of their body weight.
Elcella inventors Dr Madusha Peiris, pictured above, and Dr Rubina Aktar from Queen Mary University of London, say they hope the supplement will help “solve the global obesity epidemic”.
Doctors have previously reported that patients have suffered seizures and even been left in life-threatening comas as a result of using fake injections.
Dr. Peiris, founder of Elcella, added: “We differ from weight loss medications in that Elcella releases its own natural appetite-reducing hormones rather than replacing them with synthetic hormones.
‘Because it releases a natural process, we have not seen any side effects in three clinical trials.
‘Weight loss medications can cause nausea, insomnia, and high blood pressure, among other unpleasant side effects.
“It is also administered through a pill taken twice a day, whereas weight loss medications are typically injected.”
Weight loss injections are only available by prescription and although they are offered on the NHS, waiting lists are long.
It means most people pay privately and spend more than £2,000 a year.
Elcella brands insist their product will be available over the counter at less than half this price.
Dr. Peiris has over 15 years of research experience. focusing on understanding the complex interaction between what we eat and the gut, brain and microbiome – the multitude of bacteria and other beneficial microbes that are a vital part of our digestive system.
Dr Aktar, who has a PhD in enteric neuroscience from Queen Mary University, said: ‘With the growing popularity of drugs like Ozempic, the market is ripe for disruption.
‘Those medications have proven effective, but there has never been a natural alternative like Elcella that works with the body’s natural processes.
“Our product is an important new strategy that will help tackle the growing global obesity crisis and relieve pressure on the NHS.”