Published: 17:05 BST, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 17:12 BST, 17 August 2026
Britain has officially entered its post-weight loss jab era. While the injections such as Ozempic and Wegovy are as popular as ever, a number of easier-to-use options are now coming on to the market.
First we saw two new tablets, the Wegovy and Foundayo pills. They offer similar slimming benefits to jabs and as such, have sparked huge demand at pharmacies, with waiting lists of 100,000 patients.
Now there is yet another option offering similarly impressive weight loss – but this time without any prescription medication whatsoever.
Scientists in the US have identified a daily supplement that can result in just as much weight loss as Ozempic and Wegovy in two months – without any of the dreaded side-effects.
And unlike other 'natural Ozempics' trialled before, the tablet, which contains the bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, was found to double levels of the appetite-suppressant hormone GLP-1 in the gut, similar to the blockbuster injections.
The key is said to be a specific by-product of the bacteria, which is created when the bug is killed using heat, known scientifically as a postbiotic.
Unlike probiotics, which contain live microorganisms, postbiotics contain dead bacteria and their compounds, which can create fatty acids that boost cells in the gut.
Postbiotics can also be more stable than probiotics because they do not rely on bacteria surviving the journey through the digestive system.
Scientists in the US have identified a supplement that can, according to studies, result in just as much weight loss as Ozempic and Wegovy in two months – without any dreaded side-effects
The latest findings have been described as 'exciting' by experts, who have suggested supplements may one day pave the way for a cheaper alternative to weight-loss jabs, which can cost upwards of £300 per month.
In contrast postbiotics containing Lactiplantibacillus plantarum can be bought online for roughly £45 for a four-week supply.
'Supplements like this, which can boost GLP-1 naturally, could well be used as an obesity-prevention tool in the future,' said Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, who was not involved in the study.
'Early data [on the supplement] is somewhat exciting, but we need to see more data.'
Other experts have told the Daily Mail that a daily dose could help patients keep the weight off after quitting the jabs. Studies show users put on an average of one to 1.8lb per month after stopping injections.
