Berberine Patches, Nature's Ozempic, TikTok Shop &GLP-1 Supplements

It’s time for the next chapter of Adventures in Lobotomy Land, yay! From berberine patches to "Nature's Ozempic" and supplements claiming to be as good as GLP-1 medications without the downsides, the TikTok shop is packed with products making incredible claims, but should you believe the hype?

Berberine Patches & GLP-1 Stickers

First up is the trend of weight loss products like Berberine Patches and GLP-1 stickers, which we have been asked about, I would estimate around eight bajillion times in the last couple of weeks. Some companies are clearly out there spending the budget of a small country on advertising.

I know that losing weight can be a struggle for many people, but deep down, I have to believe that you know a weight-loss patch from TikTok isn't going to make you lose weight. 

These patches are basically overpriced stickers and will do as much. We are happy to provide free gold star stickers that will offer as much benefit as those patches if you promise not to buy any more supplements from TikTok.

Here are the ingredients in one popular “GLP-1” patch:

• Berberine Extract - 8.75 mg

• Pomegranate extract - 1.75 mg

• Cinnamon Extract - 2.75 mg

• L-glutamine - 3.5 mg

• Chromium - 35 mcg

Now they claim that because it is in patch form, you absorb more than if you take something orally. Do they provide any research on the absorption rate of those ingredients through the skin in their patch? No, of course not. Do they have proof that the ingredients, as formulated in the patch, are absorbed into the bloodstream at all? No, of course not. Do they provide any studies showing that their products are effective for weight loss or work like a GLP-1 medication at the dosages they provide, as they claim? No, of course not.

For argument's sake, let’s say that 100% of the ingredients in the patch are absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream (in reality, nothing is 100% absorbed). At the ingredient dosages provided in that patch, at 100% absorption, it will, drum roll please, do NOTHING! When taking a supplement or medication, you need to use the correct dosage shown to be effective. Putting tiny amounts of things into a product may make the label look good, but it’s fairy dusting and won’t do anything. 

Sometimes it seems like getting hit by a bus would be a more pleasant experience than having to see products like this all the time. Seeing how much money you can make when you have no morals is really hard to stomach. Maybe it’s time for me to start my own line of vitamin stickers. I really need everyone to understand that nearly every supplement trending in TikTok shops is pretty much entirely trash, and they should be thrown in the garbage for the raccoons to have.

"Nature's Ozempic" & GLP-1 Supplements

Coming up next on our lobotomy lane tour are supplements claiming to be “Nature’s Ozempic” and natural GLP-1 alternatives to medications. Not only are these claims completely illegal, but they are 100% false.

The number one supplement that these claims get made about is berberine. Now, this is not a knock on properly made berberine products, which are good supplements with many uses, but it’s not “Nature’s Ozempic,” and it does a disservice to it to call it that.

One reason medications like Ozempic cause weight loss is that they mimic the GLP-1 hormone in a sustained, significant way by binding to its receptors to trigger its effects. This is not a perfect explanation, but none of you want to sit here and read the hundred pages I could write on GLP-1, so we're going basic here.

The key words in there are sustained and significant. Many supplements and foods, like berberine, can trigger small, short-term increases in GLP-1 levels, but they do not come anywhere close to the sustained, significant levels that the drugs do. That’s why a supplement can never be “Nature’s Ozempic.” Also, there shouldn't be an over-the-counter product that works like those medications, because people on them should be monitored by a doctor for side effects and risks, which those medications certainly have, so people shouldn’t randomly be taking something like that without a doctor’s oversight. It’s also why getting GLP-1 medications from those sketchy websites where you never really see a doctor is a bad idea.

If you see any supplements being advertised as “Nature’s Ozempic” or making GLP-1 type claims, you should run far away from them. It’s clear the company is just out to make a buck and does not care about you. All those products are going to do is make your wallet a little bit lighter, not reduce the numbers on the scale. 

Healthy & Safe Weight Loss

I completely understand the desire for a quick, easy weight-loss solution. Safe, weight loss will always be putting in the work to make sustainable changes to your lifestyle and addressing underlying medical conditions that can be contributing factors, not crash diets and pills or patches from TikTok. Anyone telling you otherwise is not looking out for your best interest.