Dr. Amir Khan, a general practitioner, says you don’t have to rely on diabetes drugs to lose weight. Plenty of common foods can help you slim down just as effectively as popular injections like Ozempic.
Eggs top the list. They stimulate production of a natural hunger-suppressing hormone similar to the one targeted by weight-loss injections.
Nuts (especially almonds, pistachios, and walnuts), olive oil, and high-fiber foods such as oats, barley, and whole wheat have the same effect.
“These are the foods I recommend to my patients with type 2 diabetes. But we could all benefit from eating more of them,” Dr. Khan said.
How Does the Satiety Hormone Work?
Dr. Khan explained how the natural satiety hormone—glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)—functions. “GLP-1 slows stomach emptying, so you feel full longer and can better control your appetite and food intake,” he said.
The hormone also stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels. “It also stops production of another hormone—glucagon—that can raise blood sugar,” the expert added.
Protein in egg whites and the fiber in nuts and oats stimulate the intestines to release GLP-1, he explained.
What about olive oil? “Research has shown that monounsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, stimulate GLP-1 production more than saturated fats such as butter,” Dr. Khan said.
He also recommended adding three hunger-suppressing vegetables to your diet: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and carrots. These vegetables prompt gut bacteria to break down fiber into short-chain fatty acids, which signal specific intestinal cells to release GLP-1 into the bloodstream, the Daily Mail quoted the doctor.
Fight Excess Weight with Simple Foods!
Dr. Khan isn’t the first to highlight the “Ozempic effect” of everyday foods.
Last year, young women on social media boasted about weight loss after drinking a homemade oat-based beverage made with oats, cinnamon, lime, and water. Dr. Alok Patel, a pediatrician at Stanford University, told users that oats “contain soluble fiber that keeps you feeling full for a long time.”
He said half a cup of oatmeal helps you feel satisfied, which can prevent extra calorie intake and lead to weight loss.
Less than a third of adults eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and about a third of adults don’t get any physical activity.
Experts are increasingly urging governments to promote healthy foods rather than advertise weight-loss drugs or market unhealthy products.
