Doctor hails 'nature's Ozempic' that could help with weight loss

A doctor has shared what she calls "nature's Ozempic" - as it could help you feel full, eat less and lose weight. Ozempic is a brand name for semaglutide, a drug used to treat adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus - combined with diet and exercise.

It is also sometimes used "off-label" as a weight-management medication. The drug slows the passage of food as it travels through your intestines, leaving you feeling fuller for longer. It also naturally mimics a natural hormone, and tells your brain that you're full.

Triple board-certified physician Dr Rocio Salas-Whelan has now taken to Instagram to share a type of food she believes has similar effects. She said: "It is not green tea, it's not a prebiotic, it's not berberine, and it's definitely not oats.

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"This 'nature's Ozempic' will help you with muscle - gaining muscle, preserving muscle - and also help you with your skin and your hair, making it stronger, making more collagen. Have you guessed?

"It's protein. Protein in your diet, high protein. This is not me saying that these medications are not needed, I prescribe these drugs multiple times a day, but nature's Ozempic does exist and it is protein - lots of it."

Good sources of protein include meat, chicken and fish, as well as dairy such as milk, yoghurt and cheese. Vegetarian options include eggs, beans and lentils, chickpeas, soya milk, tofu and tempeh, nuts, and seitan.