Keto diet helps people maintain weight loss after stopping Ozempic

Folks with sort 2 diabetes who cease utilizing weight-loss medicine like Ozempic or Wegovy can keep away from regaining the misplaced kilos in the event that they undertake the ketogenic food regimen. The discovering, which comes from a small research, challenges the notion that folks should take these drugs indefinitely to forestall undesirable weight acquire.

Ozempic and Wegovy belong to a category of medicines referred to as GLP-1 agonists, which scale back urge for food and increase the discharge of insulin. They’re generally prescribed to assist individuals with sort 2 diabetes regulate blood sugar and drop some pounds. Nonetheless, the idea has been that folks should stay on the medicine long-term in any other case they regain the misplaced weight.

Shaminie Athinarayanan at Virta Well being – a US telehealth firm that treats sort 2 diabetes – and her colleagues determined to check that assumption. Their inspiration for doing so got here from earlier analysis exhibiting that low-carbohydrate diets, just like the ketogenic food regimen, assist handle blood sugar ranges and weight in individuals with sort 2 diabetes.

The researchers tracked weight and blood sugar ranges in 308 adults residing within the US with sort 2 diabetes who acquired diet remedy at Virta Well being. All of them had been utilizing GLP-1 agonists after they enrolled. Members had been suggested to observe the ketogenic food regimen – which means they had been advised to eat lower than 30 grams of carbohydrates each day, or lower than 50 grams in the event that they had been vegan, and about 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. They had been inspired to eat till they felt full, no matter energy. Well being coaches and licensed medical professionals nearly communicated with individuals as wanted.

Between three and 9 months later, half of the individuals discontinued utilizing GLP-1 agonists. All individuals continued to observe the ketogenic food regimen for a further 12 months. At this level, the researchers discovered there have been no important variations in weight or blood sugar ranges between the 2 teams. On common, individuals who stopped taking GLP-1 agonists solely gained a few kilogram of weight. By comparability, those that continued taking the drugs gained about two kilograms. A lot of the individuals in each teams additionally had blood sugar ranges beneath the brink for diagnosing diabetes.

“This research means that the continued use of GLP-1 agonists shouldn’t be needed for many individuals if [they] have the appropriate intervention,” says Athinarayanan. “You may discontinue [these medications] safely and successfully and keep weight and blood sugar outcomes.”

This can be useful for individuals who can’t take these drugs on account of shortages or side effects, says Priya Jaisinghani at NYU Langone Well being. Nonetheless, individuals should communicate with their physician earlier than starting a low-carb food regimen since it may possibly carry dangers, particularly for these with underlying situations like kidney illness or an consuming dysfunction, she says. She additionally factors out that the research was sponsored by Virta Well being and solely included a small variety of individuals. So, “It’s not the top all be all”, says Jaisinghani. “Nevertheless it reveals the distinction food regimen could make.”