It seems like every day there’s a new supplement claiming to improve some facet of your health. Chances are, you’ve seen (and maybe tried) pills or gummies for your skin, hair, digestion, and vagina. The latest supplement on the scene? Lemme GLP-1 Daily, a supplement that purports to boost GLP-1 levels, reduce hunger cravings, promote fat reduction, and support weight management.
Lemme expressly says on its website that its GLP-1 Daily, which costs a notable $90, doesn’t contain synthetic GLP-1 or act as a GLP-1 agonist – but these days, people hear GLP-1 and think “Ozempic,” so it’s not hard to understand why Lemme’s newest release is already being referred to by some as an “Ozempic alternative.”
But does the Lemme supplement actually do what it claims? Ahead, experts break down what’s in the Lemme GLP-1 Daily supplement and whether it lives up to the hype. Of course, it should go without saying that before taking this or any other such supplement, one should first consult with their healthcare professional.
Experts Featured in This Article
Libu Varughese, MD, is an endocrinologist and the medical advisor for Aeroflow Diabetes.
Kristen Lorenz, RD, is a dietitian in private practice.
Supriya Rao, MD, is a board-certified physician in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine.
Kathleen Valenton, MD, is a Lemme advisory board member.
What’s In the Lemme GLP-1 Daily Supplements?
First, it’s important to understand what GLP-1 is and how Ozempic works. “GLP-1 [glucagon-like peptide] is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate blood sugars, diet, and appetite,” explains Libu Varughese, MD, an endocrinologist and the medical advisor for Aeroflow Diabetes.
Prescription weight loss drugs like Ozempic are “GLP-1 agonists” and contain synthetic chemicals that mimic GLP-1 in your body. “They help with both weight and diabetes management by slowing down stomach activity, causing insulin to more efficiently reduce blood sugar levels,” says Dr. Varughese. “These drugs enhance feelings of fullness and help limit carbohydrate intake, resulting in greater weight loss and glycemic control.”
Despite having “GLP-1” in the name, the new Lemme supplement doesn’t actually contain synthetic GLP-1. According to a press release from the brand, the three main ingredients in the capsules are Morosil red orange fruit extract, Eriomin lemon fruit extract, and Superesa saffron extract. The brand recommends taking the supplement once daily for three to six months for best results.
Research on these ingredients and their potential weight loss benefits is limited – although some small studies exist, says Kristen Lorenz, RD, a dietitian in private practice.
A 2022 study published in the journal Nutrients found that participants who took Morosil lost slightly more body weight than those on the placebo. Another study from Food Science & Nutrition found that Eriomin lemon fruit extract increased blood levels of GLP-1 but didn’t help to decrease weight. A study published in Nutrition Research, meanwhile, found that women who took saffron extract snacked less than those who took the placebo.
What Experts Think of the Lemme GLP-1 Daily Supplement
Dr. Varughese says the ingredients may be safe for most people, but their efficacy is questionable at this moment. The research linking these ingredients to potential weight management and GLP-1 support is still in the early stages, and the studies that currently exist are quite small and not very robust, explains Lorenz. She does add, though, that just because the current research is limited doesn’t mean it’ll be unfounded in the future.
This is different from Ozempic, which – by comparison – has already undergone years of testing for efficacy and safety, says Supriya Rao, MD, a board-certified physician in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine.
“I’m always really leery about supplements because they aren’t regulated in the same way medications are,” she says. Dr. Rao adds that she wouldn’t recommend this type of supplement to her patients. “I truly believe that this is not going to do much for anybody,” she says.
Supplements can vary in quality and potency and aren’t regulated under the same standards as prescription meds, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, explains HaVy Ngo-Hamilton, PharmD, pharmacist and clinical consultant at BuzzRx. Some supplements even include misleading information or health claims on the labels, she says.
Worth noting: none of the research Lemme points to has looked at the effects of the three main ingredients together – they’ve only been studied individually, says Lorenz. “The Lemme supplement itself has not been clinically studied,” she says.
When asked via email for a comment regarding experts’ skepticism about their new product, Lemme told us that “all of Lemme GLP-1 Daily’s claims are validated by our ingredients’ gold-standard, human clinical studies (all published on PubMed).”
However, Dr. Rao says none of the studies she’s looked at on these ingredients are strong enough, in her opinion, to support weight management claims. For example, the Food Science & Nutrition study on Eromion lemon extract (which we referenced in the previous section and Lemme references on its website) had less than 100 participants complete the study and lasted for 12 weeks. Dr. Rao says this isn’t enough data to link it to any potential weight management benefits at this time.
Kathleen Valenton, MD, Lemme advisory board member, also shared this: “Lemme GLP-1 Daily is formulated with safe ingredients with no known side effects. As with all supplements, personal needs and goals change over time. Consumers should always consult their healthcare providers with any medical concerns or questions.”
In a recent interview with Vogue, Dr. Valenton does also point out that this supplement is different from prescription GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic due to how it’s administered (injectable vs. capsule) and the ingredients it contains (synthetic GLP-1 vs. fruit and herbal extracts).
The Trouble With Weight Management Supplements
Regardless of whether or not the supplement is effective, promoting supplements as weight management products can be harmful for a few reasons.
“I think [products like this] are preying on the scarcity in the market for people who can’t get the prescription drugs, whether that’s because of a lack of insurance or lack of a doctor being able to prescribe it,” says Lorenz. People are really desperate for these medications – so even any slight inference that it’s similar to Ozempic could prey on the emotional aspect of weight loss, weight management, and the hopes of getting this medication and those results, she adds. (Again, to be clear, Lemme doesn’t claim this new supplement is similar to Ozempic, but it’s clear from the reactions to the release that plenty of people are inferring, correctly or not, that it is.)
Something else to consider? The people selling you weight management supplements – in this case, a celebrity/influencer – don’t know your unique medical history and how the ingredients in their products could affect you, Dr. Rao says. That’s why you should always speak to your doctor or pharmacist before adding any new supplements to your routine, Ngo-Hamilton says.
Additionally, no matter how good a weight management supplement sounds in theory, it isn’t likely to do enough on its own to move the needle, says Lorenz. “There’s no such thing as a silver bullet for weight loss,” Dr. Rao says. (And that includes Ozempic.)
What’s more, weight management supplements tend to feed into a much larger problem, namely diet culture and society’s fatphobia and idolization of thinness. To that point, the use of nonprescription weight loss products in young people has been linked to an increased risk of eating disorders, low self esteem, depression, poor nutritional intake, and substance use, according to a JAMA Network Open report. People considering losing weight should always start with a conversation with their healthcare provider, and products like weight management supplements may instead encourage them to take a DIY approach, with potentially dire consequences, says Dr. Rao.
The bottom line, according to Dr. Rao: “These supplements should be met with a healthy dose of skepticism.”
Christina Heiser is a New York City-based freelance writer who’s been covering health, beauty, fitness, and nutrition for over a decade. Her work has appeared in PS, Women’s Health, Shape, Parade, and more.
