- Experts have debated the best dietary patterns for people taking GLP-1 medications to maintain health as they lose weight.
- A new review has gathered optimal nutritional recommendations available from existing research.
- The new guidelines could prove valuable to anyone interested in losing weight in a healthy way, but they will be most helpful to healthcare professionals who prescribe these medications.
GLP-1 medications developed for treating diabetes are very effective in helping people lose weight. People taking these drugs can achieve a weight loss of up to 15% of their starting weight within a year.
GLP-1 agonists mimic the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone produced in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, the brain experiences fewer sensations of hunger, the stomach feels fuller with less food, and food leaves the stomach more slowly. These medications are based on the compounds semaglutide, tirezepatide, dulaglutide, or liraglutide.
Only one of these medications, Wegovy, has received approvalTrusted Source from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a weight-loss drug. Other GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, Rybelsus, Saxenda, and Trulicity, are prescribed off-label for weight loss.
Limited data on dietary recommendations for GLP-1 drugs
The goal of the new research review is to present a centralized informational source based on the best current research available.
According to the study authors, nutritional recommendations could guide physicians and patients taking GLP-1 medications on what foods to eat and avoid.
Since people taking these drugs experience a reduced appetite — and consume less food each day — there is a heightened risk of developing nutritional deficiencies.
According to the study’s senior author, Lisa M. Neff, MD of Northwest Medicine Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, evidence guiding nutritional recommendations for people treated with anti-obesity medications (AOMs) is currently limited.
“For this reason, the nutritional recommendations proposed in this review include evidence from general population health, , and VLCDs [very low calorie diets],” Neff told Medical News Today.
A healthy, balanced diet supports weight loss
The review confirms the importance of following a healthy, balanced diet while taking weight loss drugs.
The information in the study is available to anyone, though it will likely be most useful to professionals working with people taking AOMs.
Weight loss drugs decrease hunger and food intake, which means that “dietary quality becomes even more important because nutritional needs must be met within the context of reduced food intake,” Neff noted.
Ali said the new dietary guidelines will help medical professionals steer their patients toward foods that are not only the most healthy but are also more likely to promote weight loss.