Capsules ‘Ozempic natural’ can reduce appetite, calorie intake

Scientists in the United Kingdom said they have developed a low-cost supplement that reduces appetite and calorie intake without the unpleasant, sometimes dangerous side effects that can accompany weight loss injections.

Elcella — a twice-daily capsule called “Natural Ozempic” — is said to cause cells in the colon to release high levels of the appetite-suppressing hormones PYY and GLP-1.

Drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro mimic GLP-1, which the body naturally produces after eating, so users feel fuller for longer. Although these injections have become extremely popular, some have complained of nausea, diarrhea, vision problems, suicidal thoughts and other complications.

The founders of Elcella reported no side effects during clinical trials. They said the pills caused obese patients to reduce their calorie intake by an average of 13% compared to those taking a placebo.

“We differ from weight-loss drugs in that Elcella releases your natural appetite-reducing hormones instead of replacing them with synthetic hormones,” Madusha Peiris, a neurogastroenterology researcher at Queen Mary University of London, told the Daily Mail.

Elcella contains diindolylmethane, which can support weight loss by improving estrogen metabolism; alpha-linolenic acid, which is believed to affect appetite hormones; and lauric acid, a fatty acid found in coconut oil that can help burn calories.

Peiris said the capsule’s special coating protects the nutrients so they can be easily delivered to the colon.

It plans to launch the treatment next year in the UK via an e-commerce site.

While drugs like Ozempic and Victoza require a prescription, Peiris said. Elcella will be available over the counter at less than half the price of expensive weight loss drugs.

“With the growing popularity of drugs like Ozempic, the market is ripe for disruption,” Rubina Aktar, co-founder and chief operating officer of Elcella, told the Daily Mail.

“Those drugs have proven their efficacy, but there has never been a natural alternative like Elcella that works with the body’s natural processes,” she added. “Our product is an important new strategy that will help tackle the growing global obesity crisis.”

Nearly three-quarters of American adults are overweight or obese, and about 11% of the American population has diabetes.

Peiris plans to explore Elcella’s potential as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, a condition where the body does not use insulin effectively. GLP-1 plays a critical role in regulating insulin levels.

Elcella is not the first supplement said to promote the natural production of the GLP-1 hormone.

This emerging market has drawn concerns from doctors about the lack of evidence to back up the claims.

“If you can just go buy a supplement and lose 20 or 30, 40 pounds, you can’t hear the end of it,” New Jersey bariatric surgeon Dr. Hans Schmidt.

“It would be everywhere,” he added. “But they’re not.”