Scientists May Have Discovered a Natural Alternative to Ozempic

Scientists may have identified a way to naturally regulate blood sugar levels and sugar cravings in a similar fashion to drugs like Ozempic.

In mice and humans, the key to unlocking this natural process was found to be a gut microbe and its metabolites – the compounds it produces during digestion.

By increasing the abundance of this one gut microbe in diabetic mice, researchers led by a team at Jiangnan University in China have shown they can "orchestrate the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1".

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body and which helps regulate blood sugar levels and feelings of fullness. GLP-1's release is stimulated by certain foods and gut microbes, and its mechanism of action is mimicked by drugs like semaglutide (the ingredient behind Ozempic).

People with type 2 diabetes typically have impaired GLP-1 function, leading to issues with blood sugar control, which is why Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists work as treatments.

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