It is the best-selling weight loss drug taken by millions of overweight and obese people.
But now, scientists in Hong Kong have revealed that you may not need to take Ozempic or similar slimming injections to see the benefits.
They found that combining extra fruits and vegetables with a new “supercharged” probiotic could lead to just as much weight loss as the shot.
Synbiotics (a combination of a probiotic and a prebiotic, often sold as a supplement) are thought to balance gut bacteria, benefiting gut health, metabolism, and even the immune system.
Experts have long suggested that live microorganisms that stimulate “good bacteria” in the gut, present in probiotics, can enhance weight loss.
A pack of cookbook author @emthenutritionist’s “potent” daily tablets costs £55 for a one-month supply and £135 for three.
Instagram-famous nutritionist Emily English or @emthenutritionist, who has two million followers, launched her own symbiotic product in April.
There are several theories about how good, healthy bacteria boost weight loss, with some studies suggesting that certain probiotics may prevent the body from absorbing fat.
In addition to increasing levels of beneficial bacteria, prebiotics (a group of nutrients) are thought to stimulate the absorption of bone-building calcium due to the way they are digested.
The new study showed that synbiotics could even lead to faster weight loss: participants who combined the tablet with additional fruits and vegetables lost five percent of their body weight per month faster than those who took Ozempic.
And it seems health and wellness influencers are taking notice, too.
Instagram-famous nutritionist Emily English or @emthenutritionist, who has two million followers, launched her own symbiotic product in April.
A pack of the cookbook author’s potent daily tablets costs £55 for a one-month supply and £135 for three.
However, other symbiotics may be Found onlinepriced from £23.99 for a one month supply.
Synbiotics (a combination of a probiotic and a prebiotic, often sold as a supplement) are thought to balance gut bacteria, benefiting gut health, metabolism, and even the immune system. Pictured is the synbiotic brand Epetome, sold by Emily English
In contrast, Brits can expect to shell out around £160 on average for a month of Ozempic.
In the study, scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong followed 55 overweight and obese adults between the ages of 21 and 65.
One group was given a combination of daily synbiotics and followed a diet plan that included consuming at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables.
Another group was instructed to take only the symbiotics, once in the morning and once at night.
The third was assigned a diet plan based solely on fruits and vegetables, under medical supervision.
During an eight-week follow-up, scientists found that half of those following the combination plan lost more than five percent of their body weight.
They also had “significantly reduced” blood sugar levels, improved cholesterol levels and “significantly lower” levels of the megamonas bacteria, which has been linked to improved body composition.
Meanwhile, only one in five of those who followed the diet plan alone saw their weight drop by more than five percent.
None of those taking only synbiotics achieved this goal.
Semaglutide, the powerful ingredient behind Ozempic, stimulates weight loss by mimicking the actions of a hormone released in the gut after eating, called GLP-1.
By comparison, early trials of semaglutide (the powerful ingredient behind Ozempic) found that users lost a similar amount of body weight as the combination group, but in three months, rather than two.
A 2022 study involving 175 vaccinated patients, published in the journal JAMA Network OpenThe average weight loss after three months was found to be 14.8 pounds (6.7 kg), equivalent to 5.9 percent.
TO reference clinical trial A study on semaglutide published in 2021 also found that 86 percent of participants achieved weight reductions of five percent or more over 68 weeks.
Writing in the diary NutrientsThe researchers said: ‘Symbiotic supplementation plus a weight-loss diet had more synergistic effects on body weight and BMI.
‘Only the diet and synbiotics group lost an average of five percent of body weight at the end of the intervention, which has the prospect of meeting the criterion of clinically significant weight loss if maintained after one year of treatment.’
However, it should be noted that other factors may have contributed to the weight loss, as the researchers did not reveal the participants’ previous smoking history or diet.
The slimming effect of semaglutide works in a completely different way than that of a synbiotic.
Isseeks weight loss by mimicking the actions of a hormone released in the intestine after eating, called GLP-1.
In addition to signaling the pancreas to produce more insulin, the GLP-1 hormone provides feedback to the brain and makes users feel full.
As a result, semaglutide may prevent users from overeating.
But it is not without side effects: users often complain of nausea, constipation and diarrhea after taking the drug.
Strange symptoms, such as hair loss, have also been reported in some patients.
Semaglutide has been available on the NHS in the UK since 2019, and in the US since 2017, for type 2 diabetics. control blood sugar levels.
The latest figures from the National Health Service (NHS) show that 26% of adults in England are obese and a further 38% are overweight but not obese. In the United States, an estimated 41.9% of the adult population is obese.
Although vaccines are designed to help overweight patients become healthier, there has also been growing concern about the number of healthy weight patients taking them for cosmetic reasons.
Some have even needed emergency room care after receiving vaccines in an attempt to get a “beach-ready” body.