An expert has revealed the truth about the latest social media craze some users are calling a 'natural form of Ozempic' that's 'really good for weight management'.
It's no secret that weight loss medications have soared in popularity over the past year, with more and more people turning to GLP-1 medications shed fat.
Although Ozempic is actually a drug designed to treat people with diabetes, it has become synonymous with weight loss and people have been scouring the internet looking for alternative ways to lose extra pounds.
One trend which has been doing the rounds on TikTok, is a home remedy tipped to be a 'natural Ozempic', but one doctor has weighed in to reassure people that this is far from true.
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Lemon balm tea is the so-called weight loss tool growing in popularity, with searches for the hot beverage soaring by 800 percent in the last month.
While the tea does have an array of health benefits, like aiding sleep and helping with digestion, some social media users have credited the drink as helping them lose weight, which isn't based in evidence, according to a health expert best known as the Gut Health Doctor.
"When it comes to weight management, there’s no convincing evidence that lemon balm tea helps with that - it’s not acting like Ozempic," Dr Megan Rossi, explained, via JAAQ.
These thoughts are echoed by the Mindful Gut founder and author of Calm Your Gut, Cara Wheatley-McGrain, who says there's no real evidence of the tea having Ozempic-like effects in people.
"So far, lemon balm has mainly been studied in animal studies, and the small number of human trials have shown some potentially interesting evidence around concentrated lemon balm extract helping blood sugar regulation, and reducing liver fat, but still early days, and too early to generalise."
Lemon balm tea is made using Melissa officinalis, which is a perennial herb in the mint family, traditionally believed to have calming and antiviral properties, and it has recently had a revival among TikTok users who have cited it as 'resetting the nervous system'.
Addressing the 'natural Ozempic' trend, Dr Rossi continued: "What we do know is that dietary fibre feeds your gut microbes, which in turn support your gut to produce GLP-1, the same appetite-regulating hormone targeted by those medications.
"So if your goal is appetite balance or sustainable weight support, focus on adding fibre across the Super Six: whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruit, veg, and herbs and spices.”
Wheatley-McGrain added: “Enjoy a warming brew of lemon balm, but make it part of a diverse, colourful diet, then step beyond the mug. Move your body. Manage stress. Sleep well. Connect often.
"Because no herb does the heavy lifting. Real health is the cumulation of micro actions toward our health each day, not a headline.”
LADbible has contacted TikTok for a comment.
Emma Rosemurgey