The human body is a walking pharmaceutical laboratory. We naturally produce morphine (endorphins), cannabis (endocannabinoids) and now we discover that we also have our own Natural Ozempic. It is a small sequence of 12 amino acids called BRP which acts exclusively on the hypothalamus (the appetite control center in the brain) without disturbing the stomach, pancreas or other organs.
The discovery comes from Stanford, where researchers They sifted through 20.000 genes in search of this molecular gold nugget. And they found it thanks to an algorithm, they tested it on mice and pigs, and they observed something extraordinary: a 50% reduction in appetite within four hours of the injection, without any of the side effects that made Ozempic so loved and feared.
A promise for weight loss
Since 2017, the injectable drug Ozempic changed the rules of the game in the fight against obesity. Not only has it helped thousands of people lose weight, but it has shown an impressive array of other health benefits. Which ones? Fights alcohol addiction; relieves knee pain from osteoarthritis; reduces the risk of kidney failure and death in some type 2 diabetics; and lessens the negative effects that being overweight has on the heart.
But (there is almost always a “but” in modern medicine, so keep that in mind) Ozempic comes with a host of side effects that range from the uncomfortable to the potentially lethal. Nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness are just the appetizer. The main course includes gallbladder disease, hypoglycemia, and pancreatitis. The dessert? Suicidal thoughts and even a seven-fold increase in a rare form of blindness known as “ocular stroke.” Not exactly the best publicity for a drug, huh?
For this reason, the discovery of a “natural Ozempic” deserves attention. A team of researchers led by Stanford medicine decided to see if it was possible to find a natural alternative to semagglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) that would offer the benefits of weight loss while eliminating or reducing side effects. A daunting challenge, but apparently not impossible.
The algorithm that finds hidden peptides
The researchers focused their attention on the prohormones, biologically inert protein molecules that become active when broken down into smaller parts called peptides. Some of these peptides function as hormones in the body. But how do we find them in that sea of possibilities that is our genome?
The answer was technological: The researchers developed an algorithm called Peptide Predictor. This software analyzed thousands of genes encoding prohormones: a painstaking work that led to the discovery of a small peptide called BRP, composed of only 12 amino acids, which was able to increase the action of neuronal cells in the brain of ten times. Researchers quickly realized that developing a drug that works only in the brain would be a significant improvement over Ozempic, which acts throughout the body.
The receptors that semaglutide targets are found in the brain but also in the gut, pancreas, and other tissues. That's why Ozempic has widespread effects, including slowing the movement of food through the digestive tract and lowering blood sugar levels. In contrast, BRP appears to act specifically in the hypothalamus, which controls appetite and metabolism.
These words from the co-author of the study and assistant professor of pathology Katrin Svensson They perfectly illustrate the advantage of natural Ozempic: it acts only where needed, leaving the rest of the body alone.
Natural Ozempic: Animal Tests Confirm BRP's Effectiveness
From computer simulations to biological reality the step was short. The researchers conducted BRP tests on both mice and minipigs, whose systems more closely mimic those of humans than rodents. The results? A single injection of BRP reduced food intake in both species by up to 50% over the next four hours.
But there is more: In obese mice, a daily injection of BRP for 14 days caused the rodents to lose an average of three grams, mostly fat. In addition, the animals showed improved glucose and insulin tolerance. Translated: not only weight loss, but also improved metabolic parameters.
And the side effects? Here's the real surprise: they didn't observe any. The animals showed no changes in water intake, fecal output, movement, or behaviors that would be associated with anxiety. A safety profile that puts traditional Ozempic to shame.
From the lab to humans: what future for natural Ozempic?
La Svensson She hasn’t wasted any time: She’s already co-founded a company with plans to move into human clinical trials on BRP. She and her team are now looking at ways to extend the duration of its effects in the body, which would make it easier to dose if it turns out to be an effective weight-loss solution in humans.
The lack of effective drugs to treat obesity in humans has been a problem for decades. Nothing we have tested before has matched semaglutide’s ability to decrease appetite and body weight. We are very eager to learn if it is safe and effective in humans.
These words of the Svensson perfectly summarize the hopes placed in this research published in the magazine Nature.
Research on appetite hormones
But why is this discovery so important? Obesity It is one of the major epidemics of our time, with devastating consequences for public health. Heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, joint problems: excess weight is a risk factor for all of these conditions.
Current treatments? Diets that fail 95% of the time in the long term; invasive bariatric surgery, and drugs like Ozempic that, while effective, come with a load of side effects. The promise of a natural Ozempic that can offer similar benefits without the baggage of side effects is a true revolution in the field.
And it's not just about aesthetics or vanity. We're talking about saving lives, improving the quality of life of millions of people, reducing health costs related to obesity and its complications.
The strong point of natural Ozempic: specificity
What makes BRP particularly interesting is its specificity of action. Unlike Ozempic, which acts on receptors present throughout the body (from the brain to the intestine, from the pancreas to various other tissues) BRP appears to have a much more specific target: the hypothalamus, the appetite control center in the brain.
This specificity is probably the key to its apparent lack of side effects. It's like the difference between using a surgical scalpel and a chainsaw: both cut, but one does it with millimetric precision, the other... well, it leaves a little more collateral damage.
It is no coincidence that nature has evolved such specific molecules. Our body is an incredibly complex orchestra, where each instrument must play at the right time and with the right intensity. Natural Ozempic appears to be one of these delicate instruments, programmed to intervene specifically in appetite regulation without disturbing the rest of the metabolic concert.
I was particularly struck by how this research once again demonstrates how much we have to learn from our own bodies. Sometimes the solution is already within us, we just need to know how to look for it.
Implications beyond weight loss
If BRP lives up to its promises in human studies, the implications will go far beyond simple weight loss. Think about the potential applications in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, where the regulation of appetite and metabolism plays a crucial role.
And let's not forget that Ozempic has shown benefits in seemingly unrelated areas of obesity, such as alcohol addiction and osteoarthritis pain. Could the BRP, with its seemingly better safety profile, offer similar roads with less risk?
The possibilities are fascinating and full of potential. Once again, nature shows us that it has elegant solutions to complex problems. We search for them, find them, and try to imitate them. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. But that is the beauty of scientific research: a continuous dialogue between our ingenuity and the biological wisdom accumulated over billions of years of evolution.
I don’t know about you, but I’m eagerly awaiting the results of the first human clinical trials. We may be on the cusp of a new era in obesity management—one where we no longer have to choose between efficacy and safety.
