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GLP-1 supplements promise to curb cravings and promote weight loss. Experts are skeptical.
Kourtney Kardashian’s vitamin and supplement brand Lemme launched GLP-1 daily capsules in mid-September. For $90 a month, the product promises — with an asterisk — to curb cravings, manage blood sugar and encourage weight loss.
Lemme is just one of many “natural” alternatives to weight loss drugs hitting the market to hop on the outstanding market success of Ozempic and Wegovy and provide people with the perks of prescription injectables without the jab, insurance hoops or hefty price tag.
But if medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are considered “miracle drugs,” these are not a magic bullet follow-up. Called “skinny snake oil” by one writer and a “huge red flag” by another, experts agree: Proceed with caution.
How do these supplements work?
To understand the surge of GLP-1 supplements, you have to understand how GLP-1 agonist injections work. “GLP-1” stands for “glucagon-like peptide-1.” “It’s a hormone naturally produced in your intestines that plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels and appetite,” Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist, obesity medicine specialist and chief medical officer at Found Health, tells Yahoo Life. “While your body naturally produces GLP-1, some people may benefit from medications that mimic its effects.” That’s where injectables like Ozempic come in.
GLP-1 supplement makers claim that their products work similarly to weight loss injections, but without the poke, using natural plant compounds — including but not limited to fruit extract, green teas, oatmeal, rice and probiotic strains — to allegedly increase or improve the body’s natural GLP-1 production. But doctors say comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges.
“While some plant compounds may indirectly influence GLP-1 pathways or mimic some GLP-1 effects, they are not equivalent to pharmaceutical GLP-1 receptor agonists,” says Kumar. “GLP-1 supplements are not the same thing as synthetic GLP-1 medications.”
Dr. Britta Reierson, a family physician specializing in metabolic health and medical director at Knownwell, agrees. “There is no evidence that these supplements actually work, and we really don’t know how they work as they have not been rigorously studied nor FDA-approved,” she tells Yahoo Life.
However, a 2022 study in the journal Nutrients found that one of the ingredients in Lemme, Morosil red orange fruit extract, helped participants lose a small amount of weight — though notably while also eating a healthy diet and exercising — compared to those taking a placebo. And a 2010 study in the journal Nutrition Research found that when mildly overweight, healthy women took saffron extract — another Lemme ingredient — they snacked less, which could help with some weight loss.
Pendulum’s GLP-1, on the other hand, contains chicory inulin, which is a form of filling fiber that can help reduce appetite, along with beneficial bacteria. One of them is Akkermansia muciniphila — a “highly-promising” probiotic with the potential to help prevent and treat obesity and diabetes, according to a 2017 study — potential being a key word here. Most of the studies have been done on animals rather than humans. As one expert put it: “We don’t have solid research that says taking the probiotic Akkermansia leads to weight loss.”
Are GLP-1 supplements safe?
At this point, it’s too early to tell. “More research needs to be done on natural GLP-1 supplements, particularly with women and underrepresented groups, as we don’t yet have a strong understanding of their efficacy and safety,” says Kumar.
Until then, she urges people to be skeptical of marketing claims that aren’t substantiated by clinical evidence. The herbal supplement industry in general is not well regulated, Reierson points out. “And a supplement can come into the market easily and quickly, without having to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product,” she explains. “In fact, what a supplement lists as an active ingredient may not even be what’s inside.”
She adds: “Without the extensive review and monitoring from the FDA, we cannot be certain of side effects, interactions with other medications and duration of treatment. For this reason, I counsel my patients to proceed with caution.”
All of this is not to say that nutrition can’t play a role in boosting GLP-1 production. “There are several plant-derived compounds and approaches to diet that could help increase the body’s natural GLP-1 production,” Kumar explains. So before ordering a bottle online, she recommends prioritizing foods rich in filling, healthy fats such as avocado or wild-caught salmon, and upping your fiber intake with whole fruits like apples and legumes such as black beans. Then, you at least know what you’re consuming.
The bottom line: Are they worth it?
Reierson makes a good point: If these supplements really did help people lose 20, 30, 40 pounds, they would be flying off the shelves. “This is not what is happening,” she says. “I maintain much skepticism and believe most of the time, the labeling of these products is very misleading. There is no scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of these supplements for weight loss or blood sugar management.”
Kumar adds that GLP-1 supplements are “largely a marketing ploy to capitalize on the current cultural craze around weight loss medications.” If they do have an effect, it’s likely mild and “not effective enough to treat overweight and obesity,” she explains.
Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration has warned that some supplements marketed for controlling blood sugar may contain unapproved ingredients and may not work as promised. With that in mind, if you do decide to try not just GLP-1 supplements but any supplement, it’s best to consult a health care professional first, Reierson says, “especially when it comes to those claiming to offer significant health benefits.”
