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Ozempic May Work Via Your Brain

First, let’s see how Ozempic might work. New understandings of how Ozempic works suggest its mechanisms may have more to do with your brain than your gut. The Atlantic reported:

"In recent years, studies have shown that GLP-1 from the gut breaks down quickly and has little effect on our appetites. But the hormone and its receptors are naturally present in many parts of the brain too. These brain receptors are likely the reason the GLP-1 drugs can curb the desire to eat — but also, anecdotally, curb other desires as well. The weight-loss drugs are ultimately drugs for the brain.

Obesity medications differ in a key way from the natural molecule they’re meant to mimic: They last a lot longer. GLP-1 released in the gut has a half-life of just minutes in the bloodstream, whereas semaglutide and tirzepatide [Eli Lilly’s obesity drug] have half-lives measured in days. This is by design. Both drugs were specifically engineered to resist degradation, so that they need to be injected only once a week.

The medications are also given at levels much higher than natural GLP-1 ever reaches in the bloodstream … By indiscriminately flooding the body with long-lasting molecules, the injections likely allow engineered GLP-1 drugs to penetrate parts of the body that the natural gut hormone cannot — namely, deep in the brain."

Semaglutide’s brain effects may explain why many people taking the drugs also lose the desire to engage in behaviors like drinking alcohol, shopping and smoking. Research published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight found semaglutide reduces alcohol drinking in rodents and modulates central gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission.

"Growing evidence indicates that the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) system is involved in the neurobiology of addictive behaviors," the researchers explained. While the drugs are now being looked at for treatment of alcohol use disorder and other conditions, the consequences of allowing such drugs to tinker with the brain are unknown.

Ozempic Slows the Passage of Food Through Your Stomach

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs). As a peptide hormone, GLP-1 is, among other things, part of a group of incretin hormones, which are released when you eat to regulate insulin, along with many other functions.

Along with affecting insulin, GLP-1 may influence the nervous system, leading to an appetite-reducing response. However, one of their mechanisms is delayed gastric emptying, meaning they radically slow the passage of food through your stomach. This makes you feel fuller longer, but if food moves through the GI tract too slowly, serious consequences can arise.

Delayed gastric emptying is the hallmark of gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis — a known side effect of the drugs. Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of gastroparesis that occur so frequently among Ozempic users that social media influencers are now advising people on how to manage these and other side effects.

Due to the delayed stomach emptying that occurs with semaglutide, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) released a warning for those taking the drugs before elective surgery.

They suggest stopping this and other GLP-1 receptor agonists before the procedure, as they could increase the risk of complications associated with anesthesia — namely that you could regurgitate food that’s still sitting in your stomach, even if you’ve fasted appropriately.

Weight Loss Injections Linked to Serious Gastrointestinal Conditions

Research from the University of British Columbia revealed that GLP-1 agonists are associated with an increased risk of several serious health conditions, including stomach paralysis, pancreatitis and bowel obstruction. Compared to those using the weight loss drugs bupropion-naltrexone, those taking GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic had a:

9.09 times higher risk of pancreatitis
4.22 times higher risk of bowel obstruction
3.67 times higher risk of gastroparesis

"These drugs are becoming increasingly accessible, and it is concerning that, in some cases, people can simply go online and order these kinds of medications when they may not have a full understanding of what could potentially happen. This goes directly against the mantra of informed consent," said study author Mohit Sodhi.

Ozempic Linked to Fatal Intestinal Blockages

These trendy weight loss medications cause other significant risks as well and may even cause a potentially fatal intestinal obstruction. Diabetic patients who use the drugs have a 4.5 times higher risk of intestinal obstruction than those using other medications. A study of 25,617 people also found use of GLP-1 agonists increases the rate of intestinal obstruction by 3.5-fold.

The drugs were also found to increase the length and weight of the small intestine in animal studies, while in humans they may increase intestinal length and villus height; villi are the hairlike projections inside the small intestine that help absorb nutrients. Writing in Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, researchers explained how this could seriously affect intestinal function, increasing obstruction risk:

"Because GLP-1RAs [GLP-1 receptor agonists] could cause continuous increases in the intestinal length and villus height, the small intestine may become as inelastic and fibrotic as a loose spring, leading to long-term upper intestinal obstruction …"

60 Minutes covered the story of Trish Webster, a woman from Australia who died from an intestinal blockage after using Ozempic and Saxenda for five months. She experienced diarrhea, constant nausea and vomiting while taking the drugs before eventually collapsing. Her cause of death is listed as "acute gastrointestinal illness."

The Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia’s regulatory authority for therapeutic goods, including drugs and medical devices, is investigating at least three deaths linked to Ozempic and other weight loss injections. Tim Ramsay died just 19 days after using Saxenda, while a 39-year-old woman also died after taking Ozempic injections to lose weight.

In other cases, those who have taken the injections experience life-changing side effects making them wish they never touched the drugs. Joanne Knight had been taking Ozempic for about two years when she became unable to swallow food. The reason? Her stomach was full of food. Violent vomiting and constant nausea followed, along with a diagnosis of severe gastroparesis.

"I wish I never touched it. I wish I’d never heard of it in my life," Knight told CNN. "This medicine made my life hell. So much hell. It has cost me money. It cost me a lot of stress; it cost me days and nights and trips with my family. It’s cost me a lot, and it’s not worth it. The price is too high."

Nutritional Deficiencies on Ozempic

For others, these drugs have worked wonders for weight loss without experiencing any of the side effects mentioned above. But, something that most people haven’t considered are the nutritional deficiencies that are compounded while on Ozempic. 92% of average Americans have at least one micronutrient deficiency. And according to the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

9 out of 10 Americans are deficient in potassium
7 out of 10 are deficient in calcium
8 out of 10 are deficient in vitamin E
50 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin A, vitamin C, and magnesium
More 50 percent of the general population is vitamin D deficient, regardless of age
90 percent of Americans of color are vitamin D deficient
Approximately 70 percent of elderly Americans are vitamin D deficient

These nutritional deficiencies can only get worse with Ozempic because you’ll be eating less food than your body is used to if you don’t modify your diet. One way to quantify this is by looking at gastric bypass and other bariatric surgeries. According to a 2017 study published in the World Journal of Diabetes:

33-49% of operated patients get anemia within 2 years after surgery
30% of patients get iron deficiency after 5 years from surgery
19-35% of operated patients get vitamin B12 deficiency within 5 years after surgery
9% to 39% get a folic acid deficiency
8-13% more bone loss for people who had surgery vs people who lost weight without surgery
2.3-fold increased risk of fractures in operated patients
10% of operated patients get calcium deficiency
61-69% get vitamin A deficiency

Based on this data and the fact that Ozempic reduces appetite and the amount of food you can eat, it is clear that people using Ozempic are at a greater risk of nutritional deficiencies than that average American.

Muscle wasting is a huge problem on Ozempic or any GLP-1 agonist.

Sarcopenia — the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength — is increased in people who have rapidly lost weight using Ozempic. A few participants underwent a DEXA scan in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which showed that in the total mass they lost, almost 40% of it was muscle mass. It’s important to note that a DEXA scan isn’t 100% accurate, but we’ve seen these kinds of results in other forms of rapid weight loss as well.

For example, a meta-analysis showed that people who underwent bariatric surgery lost over 8 kg lean body mass loss within 1 year post-bariatric surgery, which was over 20% of their total weight loss.

Even pharma companies recognise this. And last year, Eli Lilly acquired a biopharmaceutical company called Versanis, which makes a drug that blocks receptors that regulate skeletal muscle and fat mass. So, they’re trying to stop muscle loss on Ozempic with more drugs which will cost even more money. But they’re not coming anytime soon — it’ll take years of research and development before they release anything like this. And to make money off this right now, Abbott introduced a line of ready to drink protein shakes geared at people taking drugs like Ozempic.

So, anybody on Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists need to make sure their body transformation doesn’t just focus on weight loss, but rather fat loss while preserving muscle.

How LyfeFuel Can Support Healthy Weight Loss

If you are currently taking Ozempic or any other GLP-1 agonist or plan to take one in the future, then you need to understand and combat these pitfalls: nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss. One way you might do this is with a complete nutrition and protein shake such as the LyfeFuel Essentials Shake.

The Essentials Shake is loaded with key nutrients missing from the average diet such as vitamin D3, K2, and B12 along with 18 grams of protein with only 4 grams of net carbs. I recommend 2 scoops making it 36 grams of protein and you get 100% of your daily requirement of vitamins A, D, E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and minerals such as iodine, zinc, selenium, copper.

This is especially useful when you’re not able to eat anything at all due to delayed gastric emptying. You can just sip on the shake throughout the day to ensure you’re still getting all the protein and nutrients your body needs to burn fat and preserve muscle.

Now, protein is just half the battle when it comes to stopping muscle loss. You need some form of resistance training, like lifting weights and walking… a lot. A 2016 study showed that a 10 day bed rest led to 1.4 kg loss in muscle mass and 6.9% decrease in one rep max strength in young men with BMI under 25. But a 2017 study showed that just walking was enough to stop muscle loss in young men who lift weights.

So, combining lifting weights, a nutrition shake, and walking are the best ways to mitigate the problems posed by Ozempic.

Whether you choose to use these GLP-1 agonists is a personal choice and a discussion that you should have with your family and your doctor. Before deciding it's important to know the potential risks and ensure you implement dietary and lifestyle habits that will help you lose fat, retain muscle, and feel great over the long term.