‘Natural Ozempic’: social media is going crazy over the new weight loss supplement – what do the doctors think?

Rumors that Hollywood stars lose weight through injections for diabetic patients are spreading with terrible force. National celebrities are also suspected of being addicted to transformative injections. Although, according to information, drugs based on semaglutide can no longer be purchased legally in Russia.

We talked more about these injections, as well as how effectively they help get rid of excess weight, in this material. However, we will mention once again that such pleasure is quite expensive. And it has extremely unpleasant side effects – like vomiting and diarrhea.

According to hashtags on TikTok, berberine has been mentioned by users 58 million times! Against this background, there is a huge demand for the supplement in online stores: some jars fly away in an instant, because their price is extremely pleasant, in the range of 600-1000 rubles. Meanwhile, a course of weight loss injections costs at least a few tens of thousands of rubles.

Berberine is an organic compound found in turmeric, barberry, and other food plants. The healing properties of berberine are described in Ayurveda and the canons of Chinese medicine.

Today, doctors prescribe such a dietary supplement to improve carbohydrate metabolism – in complex therapy in the presence of diabetes. Berberine is also used to improve well-being in heart disease, polycystic ovaries and to cleanse the liver.

Berberine fans say that thanks to the supplement they lose 5, 10 and sometimes more kg in a short time and do not give up their usual diet.

Experts are skeptical of the popularity of berberine. They think it shouldn’t be compared to semaglutide injections – at least because these substances work in a completely different way.

At the same time, according to Dr. Simon Cork of Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, there has been virtually no authoritative research regarding the effect of berberine on weight.

“I could find only one clinical trial involving seven people – and judging by this, some patients actually gained weight with berberine”, – recount doctor.

But the main insidiousness of berberine and other metabolic boosters is their effect on appetite. First, they can make you want to eat more: after all, as the doctor explains, “any weight loss leads to increased hunger.” And second, most overweight people tend to have eating disorders, which dietary supplements can only increase.

It is important to understand that desperate attempts to lose weight quickly only lead to an unreasonable belief in empty or even dangerous methods. It is therefore worth remembering the most important thing: berberine and other miracle pills will not cope with the compulsive overeating, stress and social problems that lead to an unhealthy relationship with food – and the associated weight problems. .