Kourtney Kardashian Barker's supplement brand, Lemme, has been hit with a "klass-action" lawsuit, marking the brand's third lawsuit. Lemme's "GLP-1 Daily" claimed to bring about "un-hunger" and weight-loss benefits by increasing GLP-1 levels in the body. Unfortunately, there's no supplement on the market capable of doing that in a way that's worthwhile.
"If the question is 'can I buy a supplement that is a natural GLP-1,' the answer is, no," says Dr. Krystal Tamura, a family medicine physician at CommonSpirit Health.
"There is no supplement on the market that can do even a fraction of what the prescriptions can do."
GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is a hormone your gut releases to help signal to your brain that you're full. It also helps regulate appetite and blood sugar. GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like Ozempic mimic the hormone, boosting insulin release, slowing stomach emptying, and dampening appetite, which can result in weight loss.
Where Ozempic lists for about $1,000, a $64 monthly supply of Lemme's supplement can seem rather enticing to customers who don't know the difference.
Lemme landed in hot water over allegations that it marketed "GLP-1 Daily" as a natural alternative to prescription medications like semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (found in Mounjaro). One of the supplement's key ingredients is Eriomin, a citrus extract. While a small study showed eriomin raised GLP-1 levels by 17 percent, the lawsuit alleges this isn't enough to produce weight-loss benefits comparable to prescription medication.
"Your body makes GLP-1. That’s the natural GLP-1. It’s a hormone your gut releases after you eat, mostly from cells in the lower part of the small intestine," says Dr. Haleem Mohammed, Chief Medical Officer of Gameday Men's Health. "You can’t put GLP-1 in a capsule. It’s a protein, and your stomach digests it like any other protein. Even the oral version of semaglutide needs a special absorption enhancer and a much bigger dose to get through."
With GLP-1 medications growing in popularity and their cost remaining a barrier for many, consumers are searching for cheaper, "natural" alternatives. Lemme and other supplement brands have found a way to capitalize on that demand.
"Consumers need to exercise a lot of caution when looking at a product that claims to naturally raise their GLP-1 levels," says Melissa Musso, MSN, FNP, co-founder of Contour Health. "The supplement industry specifically is absolutely riddled with unsubstantiated claims that piggyback off these blockbuster drugs."
The supplement has since been renamed "Lemme Reset: GLP-1 Production Support Capsules" and claims to "promote healthy weight management along with a healthy diet and exercise." Its current label does not explicitly market it as a weight-loss supplement.
"What these supplements claim is that they push your own GLP-1 up a little. Even if a product does that, a small bump that fades in minutes won’t do what a prescription does," adds Dr. Mohammed.
"When a company calls a [supplement] a natural GLP-1, I’d call that marketing."
So, if you want to support your body's natural GLP-1 production but aren't ready to try medication or waste money on a supplement, what's a girl to do?
"We can naturally increase our body's GLP-1 hormone by making changes to our nutrition and lifestyle choices. Prioritizing lean proteins and fiber, while saving carbohydrates for last and avoiding processed carbohydrates, is ideal at mealtime. Fermented foods can help add good bacteria to the gut, which helps raise these good hormones," adds Dr. Tamura. "Daily exercise, stress management, and healthy sleeping habits can also boost these levels by limiting cortisol and other stress hormones."
Of course, these habits won't produce medication-level effects, but they're a reasonable place to start without spending money on supplements promising similar results.
"There are no supplements, including popular ones like berberine and inositol, that are as effective as prescription options," says Musso. "I would go so far as to argue they aren’t actually effective at all."