“Think about this – over half of the US population (55%) say they want to lose weight.1
Many of them seek to live their lives without physical health and fitness being an issue.
Some worry about how others perceive them based on their appearance.
And then there are those who want to go to the doctor and discuss their concerns without getting the weight speech,” said Dr. Theresa Bell, MD in Endocrinology.
Given these motivations, the expert wasn’t surprised by this Ozempic trend at all.
Instead, she’s worried about so many people using it off-label.
“First, it’s a diabetes drug, which is not FDA-approved for weight loss.
Second, people already report serious side effects, which I will get into detail a bit later.
Third, I did a lot of research to understand how exactly Ozempic works for weight loss.
And what I found is that there is another, safe, non-medication way to get very similar results,” she said.
The expert explained that this drug was initially created to lower blood sugar and A1C in people with type 2 diabetes.
“Now, the way Ozempic does that is by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1.
This glucagon-like peptide does three things:
- Triggers the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar rises
- Prevents the liver from producing too much glucose
- Reduces appetite and slows down the food leaving stomach2
And the latter is exactly what matters for weight loss,” said Dr. Bell.
When Ozempic slows down the rate at which food leaves the stomach, it promotes a feeling of fullness.
That’s why those who take this drug have less urge to overeat or snack.
“Since you no longer eat as much as you used to, you consume fewer calories.
As a result, you lose weight without any hunger or cravings because you always feel full.
And it might seem like nothing could go wrong,” explained the doctor.
“But it does, and those who have tried Ozempic for weight loss are already reporting serious side effects.”
“Unfortunately, what I suspected was going to happen is already happening, and on a massive scale.
There’s a surge of those who used Ozempic for weight loss sharing horrible side effects,” the expert expressed her concern.
And indeed, Dr. Bell is right because the internet is now full of stories like these:
“I took this drug for one week, and I’m not kidding when I say it was the most miserable, sickest I’ve ever felt. I can’t understand any healthy person taking it to get thin.”
“The side effects came hard, fast, and strong. If I ate more than half a sandwich, I would become so bloated that I was burping constantly.”
“Within 4 hours of the first dose, non-stop projectile vomiting and diarrhea.”
But these are only short-term Ozempic side effects.
“Let’s talk about the long-term ones, which may include hypoglycemia, kidney failure, and even cancer.3
Even if there weren’t any of these side effects, would you really want to use a diabetes drug indefinitely?
Because when you stop taking Ozempic, hunger and cravings quickly return.
And so does the weight,” explained the expert.
“The alternative I want to share promotes weight loss through the same hormone but without any of these side effects.”
“This safe alternative that can help to lose weight through GLP-1 is probiotic strains.
And anyone who doesn’t believe this would be surprised to see how many recent studies have proven it to be true.4,5,6,7
But coming back to my initial point, probiotics don’t cause any side effects because they target GLP-1 differently than Ozempic,” said Dr. Bell.
According to the expert, while Ozempic mimics this hormone, probiotic strains promote its natural secretion.
Because of that, GLP-1 does not go above healthy levels.
Which prevents the side effects that Ozempic usually causes.
“Now, I don’t want to go too scientific.
So I’ll just say that probiotic strains promote GLP-1 production both directly and indirectly,” Dr. Bell explained.5,8
She then quickly addressed the skepticism that many people may have.
Because perhaps only a tiny fraction of those who’ve used probiotics before experienced anything close to weight loss as with Ozempic.
“The problem is that no probiotic supplement is created equally.
To promote GLP-1 production to such a level that it aids weight loss, it’s not enough to take any off-the-shelf supplement.
These strains of bacteria not only have to pass through the digestive tract, but they have to do so in sufficient quantities.
And then, there must be a certain type of these strains to promote GLP-1 directly.
That’s why choosing the right probiotic supplement is so important.”
“I suggest these probiotics to every patient who asks me to prescribe Ozempic, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”
“It is no secret that people are now coming to endocrinologists asking for Ozempic off-label.
But rather than simply saying no, I always explain the side effects first.
I then recommend using Bala as a safe alternative instead,” said Dr. Bell.
And according to the expert, none of her patients has ever complained that it didn’t work as expected.
Dr. Bell believes it’s because she sets strict criteria when looking for an alternative that promotes GLP-1.
“First, it has to contain probiotic strains known to increase GLP-1 secretion, both directly and indirectly.
Second, these strains have to be in enough quantities.
Third, the delivery system has to ensure these strains would pass through the stomach intact.
Honestly, there are only a few such options, and Bala is a clear standout.
Because it contains prebiotic fibers, probiotic strains, and postbiotic enzymes, all delivered in a targeted-release capsule.
In other words, this supplement has everything I was looking for,” said the expert.
But Dr. Bell then added that, in fact, there’s one “side effect.”
“The people I convinced to try Bala instead of Ozempic quickly noticed something they weren’t expecting.
Along with fewer cravings and hunger, they reported improved digestion, reduced bloating, and way less gut discomfort.
Which is quite the opposite of what people experience with Ozempic right away,” Dr. Bell concluded with a smile.
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