Researchers crack how Ozempic, others regulate carb intake
Sopuruchi Onwuka
A new study published in Nature Microbiology reveals how medications like Ozempic unlock our body’s own regulatory mechanisms to naturally regulate hunger, reduce food intake and slow down digestion to deliver results on diabetes and weight control.
Ozempic and similar medicines have become increasingly popular and significantly exorbitant following their effective blood sugar control effects when used alongside diet and exercise.
This diabetes medication is a GLP-1, like Ozempic, is a convenient weekly injection that patients self-administer to support their diabetes management.
Originally approved by the FDA for those with type 2 diabetes at high risk due to uncontrolled blood sugar, Ozempic has recently gained significant attention for its effectiveness in curbing appetite by mimicking a hormone that regulates hunger, leading to reduced food intake.
This, combined with its ability to slow down digestion, can result in weight loss of up to 15%.
Similarly, other medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro, which are also approved for treating type 2 diabetes, have increasingly been used exclusively for weight loss.
The weight loss effect has made the drug a trending topic on social media, with influencers and celebrities openly sharing their weight loss successes.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk shared with his millions of followers on X that the drug played a key role in his recent weight loss.
Oprah, while not specifying which brand, also opened up about using weight loss medications.
Exciting new research suggests that our bodies may hold the key to naturally regulating blood sugar levels and curbing sugar cravings, much like semaglutide medications.
The study suggests that a particular gut microbe and the compounds it produces during digestion play a crucial role in the body’s natural blood sugar control.
Researchers at Jiangnan University in China have demonstrated that increasing the abundance of a specific gut microbe in diabetic mice can stimulate the release of glucagon-like peptide-1.
GLP-1 is a hormone naturally produced by the body that helps regulate blood sugar levels and manage feelings of fullness. Its release is triggered by certain foods and gut microbes, and it’s what the semaglutide drug (the active ingredient in Ozempic) mimics.
Since Ozempic and other brands mimic natural processes in the body and have proven highly effective, this research team set out to discover how to stimulate the body to produce more GLP-1 on its own.
Emerging research highlights that our cravings for specific foods are strongly influenced by signals originating from the gut, a vital organ in shaping our dietary preferences, the authors explain.
Until recently, scientists lacked a clear understanding of how specific genes, gut bacteria, and the substances they produce within the gut influence our cravings for sugar.
The new research suggests that gut microbes, such as Bacteroides vulgatus, and the substances they produce during digestion may significantly influence our cravings for sweet foods.
The study found that mice lacking the gut protein Ffar4 exhibited reduced levels of B. vulgatus in their gut. This was associated with decreased production of fibroblast growth factor (FGF21), a hormone linked to sugar cravings.
Research in mice indicates that GLP-1 agonists, the class of medications that includes Ozempic, stimulate the production of FGF21.
This finding aligns with human studies, which suggest that individuals with genetic variations that enhance FGF21 production may have a stronger preference for sweet tastes.
By analyzing blood samples from 60 individuals with type 2 diabetes and 24 healthy controls, researchers found that genetic mutations in the Ffar4 gene, which impair FGF21 production, are linked to a heightened preference for sugary foods.
The researchers found that when mice received a substance produced by the gut bacteria B. vulgatus, it increased the production of both GLP-1 and FGF21 hormones.
This combination helped the mice better control their blood sugar levels and reduced their cravings for sugary foods.
While more research is needed to determine if these findings apply to human patients, the researchers believe their study points to a promising way to prevent diabetes in the future.
Ozempic carries a hefty price tag, often exceeding US$1,000 per month out-of-pocket, as most insurance plans only cover it for type 2 diabetes.
This high cost, coupled with its surging popularity as a weight-loss aid, has created a lucrative market for counterfeit medications sold online.
In response, a 2024 UK task force launched a crackdown on the illegal trade of so-called “skinny jabs,” targeting illicit websites, monitoring social media, and conducting raids to dismantle both organized criminal networks and individual entrepreneurs exploiting the weight-loss frenzy.
