The popularity of the semaglutida (the active substance of the well -known Ozempic) and similar compounds, has led many to the search for alternatives that allow replicating Its effects without having to go through the pharmacy. It is not something to miss, like any other drug, Ozempic and similar medications have side effects, not to mention their cost or the fact that it can only be acquired with medical prescription. Having more alternatives within our reach can be tempting.
The search for a “natural ozempic” however has more shadows than lights, more pseudoscience than science. That does not mean that the door is completely closed.
One of the compounds to which often It has hung This label It is the Berber. Although some studies have detected pharmacological effects of this compound, we lack solid evidence today that proves to help us lose weight. What we do have is A series of risks associated with its consumption.
Another regular candidate to serve as “natural ozempic” It’s green tea. Although this drink can give us some nutrients and help us stay hydrated, its effects on or on our glycemic levels They are limited at best.
In An article for The conversationMary J. Scourboutakos, an expert from the University of Toront A “Ozempic of Nature”. The key to her is not in a compound that these foods can give us, but to focus on those who in one way or another stimulate the production of hormones that these treatments “imitate.”
To understand it, we must remember how these compounds work. Semaglutida is an agonist of peptide receptors similar to type 1 glucagon (LPG-1), that is, it is a compound that functions as this key hormone for our digestive processes.
The LPG-1 is a hormone that our stomach segregates when we eat with the aim of transmitting a double message. On the one hand, this hormone warns the pancreas that you should begin to segregate insulin to control blood sugar levels. These types of medications are, in origin, drugs against diabetes that stimulate insulin production for glycemic control in people who have trouble exercising this control.
On the other hand, this peptide also sends a message to the brain: satiety. This is the reason why these compounds also make those who consume them lose weight, since they flatten hunger.
Other drugs, such as Zepbound, They work similarly. The formula of the American Eli Lilly is based on the tirzepatida, which acts as an analogous not only of the LPG-1, but also of the GIP (polypeptide gastric inhibitor).
Not only what, also how
According to Explains Scourboutakosour diet can help stimulate the production of the GLP-1 hormone. He does not only through nutrients but also through our habits, when and how, in addition to what.
With respect to nutrients, the expert highlights two, being the first, and perhaps the most important, fiber. The fiber is key Because it serves as food to our intestinal microbioma, and this in turn would be responsible for segregating compounds capable of stimulating hormone production. A study Posted in 2018 in the magazine Science He indicated that the fiber could help feed bacteria in charge of segregating short-chain fatty acids, which would be in this case those responsible for encouraging the secretion of the LPG-1.
Recently, Another studyis published in Nature Microbiologyobtained similar results. The team responsible for this analysis detected that greater Presence of bacteria Vulgatus bacteroids and of its metabolite, vitamin B5 or pantotenic acid were able to activate the secretion of the peptide similar to type 1 glucagon.
Returning to Scourboutakos articlethis highlights another key nutrient, monounsaturated fats, which we can find for example in the olive oil. Again, some studies support this notion, such as The published in 1999 In the magazine The American Journal of Clinical Nutritionwhich detected that olive oil stimulated better than butter the secretion of both LPG-1 and GIP.
Regarding the “How”, ScourboTakos quotes for example A study In the magazine Diabetologyfrom which he concludes that consuming the most protein foods before the richest in carbohydrates (such as eating a fish dish and then one of rice) would give rise to a greater secretion of LPG-1. Other relevant factors mentioned by Scourboutakos include the time we consume food and even if we chew or consume in a liquefied form.
Our diet affects our health and our well -being in very diverse ways.
It may seem anti -limitic, but the closest thing to a “natural ozempic” we have is A varied diet, rich in fibers And in fats such as olive oil, whose positive properties have been well known for a long time. A diet of this type may not be able to cure diseases, but it is a necessary complement to many treatments and is an important preventive tool when avoiding problems for the future.
Image | Chemist4u / She Olsson
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