‘Nature’s Ozempic’ Triggers Weight-Loss Pathway Without the Side Effects

Byproducts from gut bacteria breaking down tryptophan, a dietary amino acid, can restore hormone-secreting gut cells reduced by obesity, a new study found. It opens the door to a natural, side-effect-free alternative to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic.

Specialized gut cells called enteroendocrine cells (EECs) secrete important hormones such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which help regulate insulin production and appetite. Yes, it’s the GLP-1 that drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy mimic

New research by scientists from Marshall University, West Virginia, has uncovered how obesity significantly reduces the number of EECs, leading to metabolic dysfunction. They also found that byproducts produced by gut bacteria when they break down certain amino acids can restore them.

“Our findings suggest that microbial metabolites derived from dietary tryptophan can reverse obesity-associated reductions in hormone-secreting cells,” said Alip Borthakur, PhD, assistant professor at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine (JCESOM) and the study’s senior author. “This points to a potential therapeutic strategy that leverages gut microbes to improve metabolic outcomes in obesity.”