Ozempic is an effective weight loss injection. It doesn’t suit everyone though and is a prescription drug (Semaglutide) so not available without prescription. This article details the 3 best Ozempic alternatives that can be obtained over the counter or online.
Top 3 Natural Ozempic Alternatives
Here are the three best over the counter alternatives to Ozempic:
The 3 brands above are non-prescription and can be purchased directly from the manufacturers websites. All 3 brands are made using natural ingredients and are non-addictive and do not have side effects.
Why Use an Alternative to Ozempic?
Ozempic is an injectable drug people can self-administer at home. It’s FDA-approved as a treatment for diabetes and glycemic control.
Like most other drugs, Ozempic can cause side effects. One of them is weight reduction so doctors sometimes prescribe the medication as an off-label treatment for obesity.
Although many people are keen to lose weight, the other Ozempic side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation, can be off-putting.
Serious side effects are rare but may include kidney problems and inflammation of the pancreas so it’s not surprising that so many people who have the chance of using Ozempic for weight loss choose to seek out safe over the counter alternatives to use instead.
There is a huge demand for effective weight management products so there are plenty of over the counter options available. Most of them are diet pills that provide natural weight loss enhancers such as capsicum extract and green tea.
Unfortunately, many supplements are not as good as their manufacturers would have people believe so finding a good over the counter alternative to Ozempic can be challenging.
Even when products contain ingredients that have proven value for weight reduction, they are often hampered by quality issues, poor inclusion rates, and/or other issues.
Many options are also loaded with stimulants, which can cause jitters and other side effects when overused.
This article introduces three of the best natural alternatives to Ozempic. All of them are produced by reputable companies that provide money-back guarantees.
The ingredients they provide are good, as are the things people are saying about the products in customer reviews.
If you are searching for an over the counter alternative to Ozempic, you have come to the right place.
As you might be able to tell from their names, the first two otc diet pills are alternatives to Phentermine (a prescription appetite suppressant).
Zotrim was not designed to work in this role but it can do so and has outperformed prescription weight management drugs in several clinical trials.
PhenQ – Best Ozempic Alternative
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PhenQ is a popular diet pill that was developed for people seeking safe and effective alternatives to Phentermine.
However, after its launch, in 2015, PhenQ’s ability to deliver rapid results allowed it to become one of the most popular weight management products on the market. It has already helped more than 190,000 people to lose weight.
PhenQ tackles stubborn fat by supporting weight loss in five different ways. This multi-pronged approach is one of the reasons so many people are saying it works so well.
PhenQ got off to a good start coming out of the gate because, at the time, it was the only diet pill with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
However, although the unusually long guarantee gave more people the confidence to buy PhenQ, it was its ability to deliver results that kept them coming back for more. There was a good vibe about the product and word-of-mouth recommendations and customer reviews on PhenQ gave the product an extra advertising push that ensured its continued success.
PhenQ Benefits
PhenQ supports weight loss in the following ways:
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Controls hunger and cravings
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Accelerates metabolism and fat burning
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Boosts energy levels
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Inhibits fat cell formation
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Enhances mood
PhenQ Ingredients Highlights
PhenQ provides seven ingredients. All of them have proven value for losing weight.
When people talk about PhenQ ingredients, they often focus on a-Lacys Reset. It’s an exciting proprietary ingredient that provides alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and cysteine.
However, although a-Lacys Reset has been shown to deliver notable improvements in fat loss and overall body composition, the PhenQ formulation does not require a-Lacys Reset to go it alone. It has plenty of help from some very big guns.
For instance, the appetite-suppressing ability of a-Lacys Reset gets some extra help from nopal (Caralluma fimbriata). It’s a cactus extra that’s clinically proven to be effective in reducing hunger and waist size. [1, 2]
PhenQ contains cayenne as well. Research shows the capsaicin this pepper extract provides supports weight loss in multiple ways including suppressing hunger, increasing energy expenditure, and causing favorable changes in adipose fat. [3]
Many diet pills provide cayenne in its standard form. PhenQ does not. It provides it as Capsimax. This patented ingredient utilizes a special delivery method that prevents the fiery nature of capsaicin from upsetting delicate stomachs.
Phen24 – 24 Hour Fat Burner Night Time Diet Pill
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Phen 24 is a 2-part weight management system that can support your weight loss endeavors 24 hours a day. It consists of two different diet pill formulations. You take Phen24 Day at Breakfast and Phen 24 night with your evening meal.
Although both formulas suppress hunger and accelerate fat burning, each one brings additional benefits to the table.
While Phen24 Day is geared towards boosting daytime energy levels and fighting fatigue, Phen 24 Night aids relaxation, helping you to wind down and sleep.
Although when you choose Phen24 you are getting two products instead of one, the cost does not reflect this. The price is similar to that of the other two Ozempic alternatives and, like PhenQ, Phen 24 has the backing of a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Phen 24 Benefits
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Hunger suppression
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More energy during the day
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Improvements in sleep quality
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24-hour increases in metabolism and fat burning
Phen 24 Ingredients Highlights
Phen 24 Day gets its fat-busting power from 8 natural ingredients. One of them is cayenne, which offers value in many areas including speeding up metabolism and providing appetite suppression. [3]
The daytime supplement’s energy-boosting capability is largely due to a clever combination of caffeine. It provides 150 mg in a fast-acting form to help pop your eyes open and get the day off to a good start. It also provides 100 mg of guarana berry extract, which delivers caffeine more slowly, allowing you to continue feeling the benefits well into the day.
In addition to being good for boosting energy and improving mental focus, caffeine is also a metabolism booster. [4]
Phen 24 Night provides 12 ingredients including glucomannan, green tea, and extract of hops.
Each dose provides a full gram of glucomannan plant fiber. Glucomannan is one of the best natural appetite suppressants in the world and a study evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority shows 1 gram is an effective dose. [5]
Green tea provides catechins that support fat loss and have also been shown to be good for the heart. [6]
Another Phen 24 ingredient of vital importance, hops extract aids restful sleep and helps you to get rid of visceral fat (belly fat). [7, 8]
Zotrim – Natural Appetite Suppressant
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Another good over the counter alternative to Ozempic, Zotrim is an appetite suppressant pill developed in the UK.
Zotrim is less versatile than PhenQ and Phen 24 because it mainly functions as an appetite suppressant. However, it also boosts energy levels. Ozempic does not.
In common with Ozempic, the Zotrim formulation is a clinically proven appetite suppressant. The formulation has even outperformed three prescription drugs and, when you choose to use Zotrim diet pills instead of Ozempic, you have the security of the manufacturer’s 100-day money-back guarantee.
Zotrim Benefits
Zotrim Ingredients Highlights
Zotrim provides only six ingredients:
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Caffeine
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Guarana
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Yerba mate
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Damiana
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Vitamins B3 and B6
Although the manufacturer does not claim Zotrim will boost energy, the presence of caffeine and guarana will ensure that it does.
The two B vitamins will help with this as well. All the top brands of energy drinks provide B vitamins because they help the body extract energy from food.
Yerba mate is a South American plant. It’s popular across Latin America, where the leaves are often steeped in water to create a drink called Mate.
Research shows yerba mate is a powerful anti-obesity agent that works without causing significant side effects. [9]
However, the results of one clinical trial suggest Zotrim’s real power may be due to the combination of yerba mate, guarana, and damiana it provides. Research shows this trio of natural ingredients have a synergy that produces a “robust short-term effect on caloric intake.” [10]
What Is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a brand of Semaglutide. The injectable medication was developed in 2012 by researchers at the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. The FDA sanctioned its use as a treatment for diabetes in 2017.
ChemSpider ID: 34981134
Metabolism: Proteolysis
AHFS/Drugs.com: Monograph
ATC code: A10BJ06 (WHO)
Bioavailability: 89%
DrugBank: DB13928
Duration of action: 63.6 h
Also known as: Izempic
Ozempic Benefits
Ozempic is provided in a special “pen.” Each pen provides several doses and has a twist-type mechanism for selecting the amount of Semaglutide each delivery provides.
Ozempic pens come with several needles that are push-fitted to the end of the pen, used once, and then discarded.
People who use Ozempic only need to take one dose per week, which is injected under the skin of the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. It’s important never to inject the drug into a muscle or vein.
To reduce the safety issues, new users begin with an injection of 0.25 mg per week. The dose remains the same for the first four weeks of treatment.
Unless there are side effects or other issues that make upping the dose unwise, the health care practitioner prescribing Ozempic will up the dose to 0.5 mg from week five onwards.
The starter pen provides Semaglutide in a choice of 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses.
There is also a second version of the pen that provides Semaglutide in 1-2 mg doses. Most Ozempic users upgrade to this pen from week nine onward. In all cases, the health professional providing the prescription will decide on the most appropriate dose.
Although many people are more interested in Ozempic’s ability at reducing body weight, it’s important to remember Semaglutide is first and foremost a medication that’s designed to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
How Does Ozempic Work for Weight Loss?
Semaglutide suppresses appetite. People who are using the drug should find it easier to lose weight because they will be able to eat less without feeling hungry.
Semaglutide is also distributed as Wegovy. The only difference between Ozempic and Wegovy is the maximum dose. Wegovy provides more (2.4 mg). It’s approved by the FDA as a weight management treatment but is only prescribed to people who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Wegovy may also be available to people with a BMI of 27 plus but only if they have a comorbidity, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
The same restrictions are in place for other FDA-approved weight management drugs, such as Phentermine.
However, although Ozempic is a diabetes treatment (for low blood sugar), healthcare practitioners often prescribe it off-label for losing weight and for lowering blood sugar.
As with all weight-management treatments, to get the best from Semaglutide, you need to use it alongside a sensible diet and exercise.
Most of the diet pills that are available to buy over the counter, support weight loss in several ways and, in addition to controlling hunger, increase metabolism, leading to greater calorie expenditure and fat loss.
Ozempic lacks this versatility. All it does is control hunger but 55% of the participants in one 68-week clinical trial showed 15% reductions in body weight, while 35% of them lost more than 20%. However, the study in question was using 2.4 mg of Semaglutide (Wegovy) per week. [11]
Ozempic Side Effects
The Semaglutide Ozempic medication side effects.
Common side effects include:
Semaglutide side effects of a more serious nature include:
It’s also worth noting the drug is distributed with a warning that states using it may increase the risk of developing tumors and thyroid cancer. [12]
The warning is based on the bad things that happened to animals during testing. It’s not known if the drug presents the same risks to humans, but a warning like this raises concerns that may be a driving force in the demand for over the counter Semaglutide alternatives.
Reference Sources
1. Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17097761/
2. The Effect of an Orally-Dosed Caralluma Fimbriata Extract on Appetite Control and Body Composition in Overweight Adults: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7991653/
3. Dietary capsaicin and its anti-obesity potency: from mechanism to clinical implications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5426284/
4. Normal Caffeine Consumption: Influence on Thermogenesis and Daily Energy Expenditure in Lean and Postobese Human Volunteers: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
5. Scientific Opinion on the Substantiation of Health Claims Related to Konjac Mannan (Glucomannan) And Reduction of Body Weight: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1798
6. A Green Tea Extract High in Catechins Reduces Body Fat and Cardiovascular Risks in Humans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17557985/
7. The Sedative Effects of Hops (Humulus Lupulus), a Component of Beer, on the Activity/Rest Rhythm: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22849837/
8. Matured Hop Extract Reduces Body Fat in Healthy Overweight Humans: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Parallel Group Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4784395/
9. Anti-obesity Effects of Yerba Mate (Ilex Paraguariensis): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26408319/
10. Acute Effects of a Herb Extract Formulation and Inulin Fibre on Appetite, Energy Intake and Food Choice: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23207186/
11. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adolescents with Obesity: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2208601
12. Semaglutide Injection: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a618008.html
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