LIFESTYLE NEWS - From patches and drops to gummies and protein shakes, a growing range of consumer products is being marketed as a way to harness GLP-1, the hormone involved in appetite regulation and digestion. Some claim to mimic prescription weight-loss medicines, while others promise to stimulate the body’s natural GLP-1 production.

But do these products deliver the results their marketing suggests?

Dr Gerhard Vosloo, founder and head consulting practitioner at Dr GL Vosloo Medical Practice, managed by BioWell, warns that consumers should be cautious about claims that ordinary supplements and wellness products can produce effects comparable with prescription GLP-1 medication.

While certain foods and ingredients can influence the body’s natural release of GLP-1, this is not the same as taking medication specifically developed to activate GLP-1 receptors at therapeutic levels.

Prescription GLP-1 medicines contain active pharmaceutical ingredients designed to produce a sustained effect that has been studied in clinical trials. Their formulation is also important, as the active ingredient must be absorbed reliably to reach the bloodstream and act as intended.

Some peptide-based medicines are broken down during digestion and therefore require specialised delivery methods, such as injections or specially formulated oral tablets that help protect the active ingredient and improve absorption.

According to Vosloo, some products marketed as containing GLP-1 may deliver little or no therapeutic effect because of the way they are formulated. Others contain ordinary dietary or herbal ingredients that are promoted as having similar effects, without credible evidence that they produce comparable results.

Here are five product categories consumers should approach with caution.

1. GLP-1 patches

Promoted as a needle-free alternative, GLP-1 patches claim to deliver weight-loss benefits through the skin.

However, peptide-based medicines do not readily pass through the skin barrier. Vosloo explains that research into transdermal peptide delivery shows that specialised technologies and ingredients are generally needed to help these substances penetrate the skin.

Ordinary over-the-counter patches cannot therefore be assumed to deliver GLP-1 into the bloodstream or reproduce the effects of prescription medication.

2. Oral GLP-1 drops and solutions

Some products suggest that GLP-1 can simply be swallowed or absorbed through the mouth in liquid form.

The difficulty is that peptide-based drugs are vulnerable to breakdown in the digestive system and are often poorly absorbed. Certain approved oral GLP-1 medicines use specially engineered formulations and absorption-enhancing ingredients to help the active substance survive digestion and enter the bloodstream.

Ordinary drops and liquid supplements do not automatically offer the same technology or effectiveness.

3. GLP-1 support supplements and gummies

Gummies, capsules and fibre-based supplements are increasingly marketed as ways to support the body’s natural GLP-1 response. Claims often include reduced appetite, fewer cravings and weight loss.

These products may contain dietary fibre, plant extracts, vitamins, minerals and other common supplement ingredients.

Some fibres and other dietary components may have a modest influence on natural GLP-1 release or feelings of fullness. However, this is not equivalent to the sustained receptor activation achieved by prescription medicines, and it does not establish that supplements can deliver similar weight-loss results.

4. GLP-1-stimulating drinks and protein shakes

Powdered drinks and protein shakes are also being promoted as appetite-control and weight-loss solutions by claiming to boost GLP-1 levels.

There is some scientific basis for the connection. Protein, including whey protein, can stimulate the body’s natural release of GLP-1 after eating.

However, this is a normal digestive response and is relatively short-lived. A protein shake may form part of a balanced eating plan, but it cannot be assumed to reproduce the prolonged effects or clinically studied outcomes of prescription GLP-1 medicines.

5. Gut-health supplements

Probiotics and prebiotics are sometimes marketed as ways to increase GLP-1 by changing the balance of bacteria in the gut.

Research suggests that gut bacteria and the compounds they produce may influence natural GLP-1 signalling. This is an area of ongoing scientific interest, but it does not mean that gut-health supplements can produce the same effects as medication specifically designed to act on GLP-1 receptors.

Know what you are buying

Vosloo says the broader concern is that some products take a genuine but relatively modest biological effect and market it as something far more powerful.

Although certain foods and ingredients may stimulate the body’s natural GLP-1 response, the effect is generally too variable and short-lived to support claims of reliable appetite suppression or weight loss comparable with prescription treatment.

Consumers should look beyond the product name and marketing claims before spending money on a supplement or weight-loss product.

Vosloo recommends asking three important questions: What active ingredient does the product contain? How is it supposed to reach and act in the body? And what credible clinical evidence supports the claims being made?

If these questions cannot be answered clearly, consumers should be wary of treating the product as an alternative to prescription GLP-1 medication.

Anyone considering weight-loss treatment should consult a healthcare professional about the options available and what is appropriate for their individual circumstances.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’