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A nutritionist who lost 100 pounds using a diet he designed himself claims apples “do the exact same thing” as weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. Is he right? Let’s find out.
“Did you know that apples literally do the exact same thing in the body as Ozempic does?” nutritionist Sean Christopher asks at the beginning of a TikTok video that’s been viewed over 600,000 times.
“So, the reason why Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and all those other drugs work is because they impact a hormone in the body called GLP-1. When GLP-1 is impacted, that lowers blood sugar and blunts hunger in the body.
“The cool thing is that… food in nature literally does the exact same thing as the weight loss drugs do. And that’s not my opinion, that is solid science.”
@iamtheseanchristo 🍏 Apples & GLP-1: The Weight Loss Secret Hiding in Plain Sight! Did you know that apples naturally boost GLP-1, the same fat-burning hormone Ozempic targets? But instead of risky side effects like thyroid tumors, stomach paralysis, and gallbladder disease, apples work with your body to support weight loss safely and naturally. Here’s how apples supercharge fat-burning: ✅ Packed with fiber to slow digestion & keep you full longer ✅ Polyphenols trigger GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar & appetite ✅ Supports gut health, boosting metabolism naturally Why risk injections when Nature’s Ozempic is sitting in your kitchen? 🍏 Drop a 🍏 in the comments if you’re choosing real food over Big Pharma! ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic
He also explains in the caption to the video that “instead of risky side effects like thyroid tumors, stomach paralysis, and gallbladder disease, apples work with your body to support weight loss safely and naturally.”
Among his other claims are that apples “supercharge fat-burning” because they are “packed with fiber to slow digestion and keep you full longer.”
Of course, he is also trying to sell people something, so naturally, people were a little skeptical. But should they be?
“There are natural ways to achieve the same thing as Ozempic — by consuming food high in soluble fiber, particularly pectin, which is found in apples,” Dr. Katerina Petropoulou, an expert in metabolism and digestion at Imperial College London, told DailyMail.com. “Fiber acts as a barrier, slowing the digestion and absorption of carbs and protein.
“This in theory mimics the effect of Ozempic by ensuring a steady release of gut hormones. It doesn’t have to be apples, though — any vegetables or fruit that are high in fiber can have a similar effect.
“People should aim for 30g of fiber a day and for your diet to contain lots of whole, unprocessed foods. Many processed foods are broken down too quickly in the gut — and the body doesn’t have time to release hormones that tell us we’re full. That’s why we overeat them.”
That and the fact that Big Food knows exactly how to make people want to eat more junk food than is healthy.
Dr. Petropoulou does add one caveat about apples, however. “Relying solely on one food — like apples — isn’t effective. A holistic approach is key, consuming a balanced diet, rather than trying to eat eight apples a day to reach your target,” she said.