A PLANT-based weight loss supplement made famous on TikTok has been slammed as “dangerous” by experts.
The viral trend of taking berberine capsules has seen videos espousing their benefits reach millions of viewers.
GettyWomen’s legs on the scales, close-up of a measuring tape, the concept of losing weight, healthy lifestyle.[/caption]
But medics warn clips marketing it as “nature’s Ozempic” could be damaging and the pills may not be effective.
The traditional Chinese medicine can be bought online from as little as 20p per pill and social media users claim it can also help with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Some claim they have lost as much as 18lb, although others have admitted it has caused some side effects including diarrhoea and stomach problems.
Dr Simon Cork, of Anglia Ruskin University, told MailOnline: “I have found no evidence for almost any of the claims spoken about in these videos.
“I have only been able to find one clinical trial using berberine for weight loss.”
No patients in the trial lost weight during the six week study, and some actually gained weight, he said.
The pills do not work like semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, which was recently brought on to the NHS to help obese people trim down.
They reduce how hungry you feel by simulating a hormone called GLP-1, which tells the body to stop eating when your stomach is full.
It is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk shed the pounds.
In contrast, the only potential weight loss-causing effects of berberine would come from its slight effect on increasing metabolism, Dr Cork said.
A National Centre for Eating Disorders spokesperson said: “Calling it ‘nature’s Ozempic’ is dangerous marketing.”
Eating fibre-rich foods like porridge and more protein to feel fuller for longer offer better ways of naturally helping you lose weight, they said.
Around a quarter of English adults are obese, with a further 38 per cent overweight but not obese.
Worldwide, experts predict 1billion people will be obese by the end of the decade.