Processed foods have been vilified as fueling America’s obesity epidemic.
But it turns out one minor ingredient could actually have the same effect as Ozempic when it comes to losing weight.
Allulose — dubbed ‘the most longevity-friendly sweetener’ — is a low-calorie sweetener that tastes like sugar but has a fraction of the calories.
Researchers have discovered it causes the production of hormones in the gut that trick the brain into thinking it is full — the same way GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic do.
Dr Daniel Atkinson, a general practitioner and clinical lead at telehealth company Treated, told the Daily Mail allulose works ‘slightly differently.’
He said: ‘Weight loss injections like Ozempic work by mimicking the effects of GLP-1. Allulose appears to raise [natural] GLP-1 levels, which could help you feel less hungry and therefore consume fewer calories.’
He added that early studies ‘show positive signs’ that allulose could be used as a tool for weight loss in the future.
It is found naturally in fruits like figs and raisins but is artificially added to many more processed foods, such as Quest protein bars, Chobani yogurt, Magic Spoon cereal and Atkins caramel almond snacks.
Allulose is available as a standalone sweetener that has the same taste and texture as regular table sugar
It’s in the popular yoghurt brand Chobani
Dr Michael Aziz, a longevity doctor from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, told the Daily Mail that while some sugar substitutes have been linked to weight gain, allulose is different because it has a low glycemic index, meaning it doesn’t spike blood sugar levels.
Repeated and frequent blood sugar spikes can lead to inflammation, damage blood vessels and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
While many sugar substitutes don’t usually affect blood sugar levels, regular table sugar does.
A 2018 study found giving mice allulose caused them to eat less and increase the amount of the ‘fullness hormone’ GLP-1.
The team of researchers from Japan concluded: ‘Our results identify [allulose] as a prominent GLP-1 releaser that acts… to restrict feeding and… corrects arrhythmic overeating, obesity and diabetes.’
Researchers said the results were promising as GLP-1 medications cause adverse side effects like nausea and vomiting, while people consuming allulose experienced no undesirable outcomes.
A separate 2018 study in overweight and obese adults found 14 grams of allulose per day was associated with a reduction in body mass index, body fat percentage and total fat mass, particularly of belly fat, which is the most dangerous kind of health.
These changes occurred even without other diet or exercise interventions.
Longevity biohacker Bryan Johnson – who is 47 but claims to have the body of a man in his thirties – touted the low-calorie sweetener allulose as ‘perhaps the most longevity-friendly sweetener’ and has included the ingredient in the products he sells online through his company Blueprint.
GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. It is a naturally occurring hormone in the gut produced in response to food that regulates blood sugar and appetite.
Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy mimic GLP-1 and help the body slow down digestion.
This keeps people feeling fuller for longer, thus decreasing the amount of food they eat and helping them lose weight.
Popular Quest protein bars include allulose in their ingredients
Health cereal Magic Spoon also includes allulose as an ingredient
A smaller study of 13 adults observed an increased metabolism – and potential fat burn – when they consumed 5 grams of allulose before a meal.
Concerns over allulose stem from its potential gastrointestinal effects, such as bloating, gas and diarrhea – though these are only a concern when the sweetener is consumed in high amounts.
A 2018 study involving 30 people determined allulose was well tolerated without digestive issues at an amount up to 63 grams daily for a person of average weight (about 150lbs or 70 kg).
In 2024, 40 percent of Americans were classified as obese – and while that number has slightly fallen over the last three years from 42 percent, the obesity epidemic is still leading to a host of other health issues, including diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
However, experts anticipate a drop in that rate thanks to the wide use of semaglutide – the active drug in Ozempic and similar medications.
Allulose is available as a standalone that has the same taste and texture as regular table sugar. Naturally, it’s found in fruits like figs and raisins but is widely available in popular snack products
About 13 percent of adults — or 33million people — are estimated to have ever tried at least one of these drugs.
Researchers from Treated estimate that by the start of 2026, at least 2.86million Americans will be actively using a weight loss drug (either Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound or Mounjaro).
Despite the breakthrough in obesity medications, however, these drugs are expensive and have been associated with undesirable side-effects — with many patients complaining of nausea, vomiting and constipation.
In more serious cases, patients have said they’ve suffered from pancreatitis — inflammation of the pancreas — stomach paralysis, and even blindness.
Several deaths have also been reported in people taking the drug, although it was not clear whether the drug directly led to the fatality.