Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy continue to surge in popularity as millions seek them out to drop pounds.
However, with a price tag of over $1,000 a month and coming with a host of undesirable side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, life-threatening intestinal blockages and thoughts of suicide, there are many people who are afraid to try them.
This has led to a boom in the search for GLP-1 alternatives – things like diet hacking, supplements or ‘nature’s Ozempic.’
For one woman, she found her weight-loss answer in a natural sweetener called allulose.
Allulose is a low-calorie sugar found naturally in small amounts in figs, jackfruit, raisins and maple syrup. It can also be used as a substitute for table sugar in recipes.
It provides about 70 times the sweetness of traditional sugar, but it doesn’t cause glucose – blood sugar – to spike like traditional table sugar, which increases the risk of diabetes and can cause overeating.
The body only absorbs about 0.2 to 0.4 calories from it, but excretes about 70 percent of it out through the urine, meaning it doesn’t stay in the body long enough to accumulate and cause harm.
The FDA has classified it as Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) and it is only at very high doses – about 9 teaspoons in one sitting – that side effects like diarrhea and abdominal pain may occur.
One woman said substituting allulose into her diet helped her lose 74 pounds in 10 months (stock image)
Allulose is a low-calorie sugar found naturally in small amounts in figs, jackfruit, raisins and maple syrup (stock image)
Allulose may help reduce liver and abdominal fat – the most dangerous type that raises the risk of cancers and chronic diseases.
It also acts as a GLP-1 inducer, meaning it stimulates the release of the GLP-1 hormone weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro act on.
This helps the body feel fuller faster, which aids in weight loss, and research has shown allulose consumption reduces body weight, body fat percentage and waist circumference.
Because allulose is only naturally found in small amounts in limited foods, it is often added to foods in the manufacturing process. It can also be purchased in bulk packets for as little as $8 online and in stores to be used in baked goods and beverages in place of table sugar.
A woman named Donna told The Epoch Times that she began using allulose in recipes in place of traditional table sugar, including in brownies and muffins.
‘It’s the main thing I’ve done differently compared to other low-carb diets,’ she said.
After substituting allulose into her diet, she said her ‘food noise’ has disappeared: ‘After breakfast, I’m not hungry all day. No cravings either.’
In 10 months, she lost 74 pounds, about 1.7 pounds per week.
Alongside the number on the scale, her cholesterol also dropped and her blood sugar normalized.
And unlike people who take a GLP-1 drug, Donna has maintained her weight loss for five years and said she no longer feels out of control around food.
Dr Daniel Atkinson, a general practitioner and clinical lead at telehealth company Treated, told the Daily Mail allulose works ‘slightly differently’ than a GLP-1 drug.
He said: ‘Weight loss injections like Ozempic work by mimicking the effects of GLP-1. Allulose appears to raise [natural] GLP-1 levels, which could help you feel less hungry and therefore consume fewer calories.’
He added that early studies ‘show positive signs’ that allulose could be used as a tool for weight loss in the future.
Additionally, longevity biohacker Bryan Johnson – who is 48 but claims to have the body of a man in his thirties – touted allulose as ‘perhaps the most longevity-friendly sweetener’ and has included the ingredient in the products he sells online through his company Blueprint.
