Many consumers feel positively about dietary supplements. Most Americans take them. There is a large appeal to nature baked into the marketing – a natural remedy may be felt to be safer than anything “unnatural”, like pharmaceuticals. But natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe or effective. And when there’s a real medical need, “Big Pharma” can deliver the goods, usually better than anything “natural”. If you have have acute trauma, you’re not going to use a dietary supplement for your pain. If you have cancer, you’d be wise not to treat it with alternatives-to-medicine. And with weight loss, there is no dietary supplement that comes close to the impact of the newest weight loss loss drugs, like semaglutide, or Ozempic.
Recently a “natural” remedy has been trending on social media, billed as an alternative to Ozempic. It’s called Oatzempic, it’s popular on TikTok, and influencers are touting massive weight loss results.
Oatzempic is a new diet trend with a clever name. The relationship to Ozempic stops at the name. Oatzempic isn’t a drug but a meal replacement, with claims that the “Oatzempic diet” can lead to 40 lbs of weight loss in two months.
The recipe for Oatzempic is simple: Mix 1 cup of water, ½ cup of uncooked rolled oats and the juice of half of a lime in a blender. Maybe add some cinnamon if you’re feeling frisky. Blend until smooth, and then drink. Why lime? No one seems to know. Advocates claim the mixture has an an effect similar to semaglutide.
The ingredients in this concoction are not unhealthy. 1/2 cup of oats with some lime juice is about 150 calories, and rolled oats are mainly carbohydrate with a small amount of protein. Oats have micronutrients like iron, magnesium and zinc as well. They’re also a good source of soluble fibre, which can promote regularity and even lower cholesterol. Oats can also have positive effects on blood sugars.
The challenge come when you look closer at the usual directions for use. You’re apparently supposed to drink this once a day, in the morning, and then fast until noon. So this effectively becomes a calorie-reduction diet, combined with an intermittent fasting plan. For some, 150 calories until noon may be an insufficient number of calories. While oatmeal can provide satiety, whether or not you end up in net calorie loss depends on your diet over the rest of the day.
So can Oatzempic actually help you lose weight? If it causes sufficient satiety, and leads to a reduction in total calories consumed daily, then yes – it could lead to weight loss. If your current breakfast is relatively higher in calories, and you hold the rest of your diet steady – then an overall calorie decrease could support weight loss. It’s important to note that intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone – but it can support weight loss goals for some people. The Oatzempic diet may not be sustainable – and sustainability is essential for “permanent” weight loss. The Oatzempic diet hasn’t been formally evaluated, so we have no hard data on which to evaluate its overall success rate.
The effectiveness of semaglutide is based on its effect on the GLP-1 receptor, which stimulates insulin secretion and reduces blood sugar. It decreases appetite and suppresses hunger, ultimately reducing energy intake and can cause weight loss of 15-20%. Naturally occuring GLP-1 does not last long in the body. Semaglutide, however, was designed to lasts longer in the body and consequently will have much more profound effects on diet. In doing so, it lowers the risk of heart disease, and can improve blood pressure and blood lipid levels. Semaglutide can do this to an extent simply not possible with food products like oats.
Bottom line? Oatzempic isn’t the worst dietary trend to emerge from TikTok. But trendy meal replacements and fasting may not support long-term weight loss goals. Oats are a healthy food that can be incorporated into a nutritious diet. But you don’t need to blend them with lime juice into a slurry to reap the benefits. Porridge is delicious. Combine that with some fibre-rich fruit, and maybe some protein, and you’ve got a much more appetizing (and potentially sustainable) breakfast habit.