Experts have warned against a cheaper and much more accessible alternative to the hit weight-loss drug that dieters Ozempic claim to have found.
Zyn is a brand of flavored nicotine pouches that has skyrocketed in popularity, particularly among Generation Z amid growing concern about the health risks of e-cigarettes.
Unlike vaping, users get their nicotine fix by holding the pouch in their mouth as if it were hard candy. It then dissolves and enters the bloodstream through the gum tissue, causing a “high” and increased energy.
On social media, users tout a host of benefits, including improving their workouts, keeping them awake, and even improving sexual performance.
Now, some Zyn users say their habit has also helped them lose weight quickly.
An Instagram user who runs a popular golf page said in a video: “The other thing they don’t tell you is that you will lose a lot of weight just by replacing Zyn with a little starvation.” ‘His son has lost like 30 pounds in a month. O-Zyn-photo. Works’
One TikToker also said, “You end up losing 30 to 50 pounds in three months” in a video titled “How I went from 190 pounds to 140 pounds in less than a year.”
An Instagram user who runs a popular golf page said in a video that has so far attracted 4 million views: “The other thing they don’t tell you is that you will lose a lot of weight just by replacing Zyn with a little hunger.”
‘Your son has lost like 30 pounds in a month. O-Zyn-photo. Works.’
Another TikToker said in a clip viewed 80,000 times: “You end up losing 30 to 50 pounds in three months” in a video titled “How I went from 190 pounds to 140 pounds in less than a year.”
Other Reddit users have also seen the effects.
“I’ve used Zyn nicotine pouches occasionally over the past few years, but I started using them regularly because they help me focus and control my hunger,” said one.
Scientists believe that the reason nicotine products can slightly suppress appetite is because the substance activates neurons in the brain that control hunger.
Zyn Pouches look like little tea bags filled with nicotine, with flavors including mint, bubblegum, and mango. Placed discreetly between the lip and gum, nicotine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
Nicotine can also increase the burning of a type of fat that regulates body temperature in cold conditions.
But this is not well studied and using bags is not a safe or effective way to lose weight, doctors have warned.
Dr. Carolyn Bramante, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, said Business Insider He is concerned about possible unknown effects of nicotine pouches on the heart and blood vessels.
Nicotine pouches are also highly addictive and are known to increase blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke in vulnerable people.
It’s no surprise that Americans are looking for an alternative to medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, whose users lose an average of five percent of their body weight after three months.
The medications cost a hefty $1,000 a month and are currently in short supply.
Andrea Hernandez, author of the consumer trends newsletter Snaxshot, told Business Insider: “People want to lose weight, but it’s something they can’t afford and don’t want to talk about.” It seems like a discreet way to lose weight.
