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An experimental molecule could become a new ‘natural Ozempic’ without the laundry list of unpleasant side effects.<\/p>\n
While Ozempic and similar GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have taken the\u00a0world by storm, with one in eight Americans – 31 million – taking one, they have also been associated with a host of side effects<\/a> like nausea, vomiting and stomach paralysis.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, researchers at Stanford University have identified a molecule called BRINP2-related peptide (BRP), which is naturally found in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid.<\/p>\n They believe BRP targets the brain’s hypothalamus, an area that controls appetite and metabolism, similar to GLP-1 medications, which mimic the natural gut hormone GLP-1 to slow digestion and tell the body it’s full.<\/p>\n The team injected the peptide into obese mice and minipigs, which are genetically similar to humans, and found that the animals rapidly reduced their food intake.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pigs in particular cut their food intake by as much as 50 percent in just one hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n And while pigs did not have meaningful weight loss, mice lost an average of three grams, which is around 10 to 15 percent of their body weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n The team also found that animals on BRP had none of the common side effects associated with GLP-1 drugs, such as nausea or a taste aversion.\u00a0<\/p>\n A new study found a potential ‘natural Ozempic’ that does not have the harsh side effects of GLP-1 medications (stock image)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n