Although Ozempic is highly effective at helping people lose weight, it is plagued by safety and cost issues. Here are the best natural Alternatives to Ozempic that are both cheaper and safer.
Many are turning to over the counter natural Ozempic alternatives in 2024 for several reasons. First the cost of prescription medications like Ozempic can be a big barrier especially if you don’t have full insurance coverage. Natural alternatives are more affordable and accessible.
Second, the side effects of Ozempic like nausea, diarrhea and stomach pain can be a turn off. Natural supplements have fewer and milder side effects so are more appealing to those looking for a gentler solution.
And then there’s the convenience factor. Getting a prescription for Ozempic requires doctor visits which can be time consuming and hard to arrange. Over the counter alternatives can be bought online or in local stores so are a hassle free option.
Lastly there’s a growing demand for natural weight loss medications. People are more aware of what they put in their bodies and often prefer solutions that are derived from natural ingredients rather than synthetic chemicals. This is part of a bigger trend towards holistic and natural health.
Alternatives to Ozempic Over the Counter and Online
These are the over the counter diet pills that work best as safe alternatives to Ozempic:
However, Ozempic does have one thing in common with the weight loss drugs that are FDA-approved (food and drug administration) for use in the USA. It can cause side effects.
Serious issues are rare, but Ozempic is known to present a risk of kidney harm. It also has the potential to inflame the pancreas.
Fortunately, most people who experience side effects while using Ozempic only have to contend with minor issues such as changes in bowel movement and nausea or vomiting.
Regardless of the severity, side effects are never a welcome part of any medical treatment. Many people who are offered the opportunity to use Ozempic for weight management and lower blood sugar choose to use milder over the counter (OTC) alternatives instead.
Most of the best over the counter alternatives to Ozempic were created for people seeking OTC diet pills to use instead of Phentermine. Many people prefer natural dietary supplements over prescription medications like Ozempic due to concerns about potential downsides.
Like Ozempic, Phentermine is a prescription appetite suppressant that has the potential to cause dangerous side effects. It’s been available via prescription since the 1950s and there has always been a big demand for effective diet pills that are safer to use. [1]
Back in the 1950s, OTC diet pills were pretty poor. That was more than half a century ago. People who need to reduce body fat and get their weight under control in the 21st Century have superior options available to them and all the best ones have lengthy money-back guarantees.
Top 3 Best OTC Alternatives to Ozempic (safe and cheaper)
Here are the best natural substitutes that can be used instead of Ozempic. All three can be ordered online or over the counter.
These alternatives offer various health benefits, including improved weight management and overall well-being.
#1. PhenQ - Leading Ozempic Alternative Over the Counter
We rate PhenQ as the safest and cheaper alternative to Ozempic - and also available over the counter and online
Although PhenQ is popular with dieters of all types, it was originally developed to help people who wanted to lose weight without using a pharmaceutical drug. PhenQ is often described as Phentermine over the counter replacement. It’s an all-natural supplement that offers equal benefits to people seeking natural alternatives to Ozempic.
PhenQ was launched in 2015. At the time, it was the only OTC diet pill with a 60-day money-back guarantee. That got a lot of attention and, as the success stories began flooding in, so did the orders. It was a runaway success and has already clocked up more than 190,000 satisfied customers.
PhenQ is more versatile than Ozempic (or Phentermine) because it does more than suppress appetite. I can treat weight loss in four other ways as well. One of the things it does is boost metabolism to help you to burn extra calories throughout the day.
The supplement’s ability to control hunger makes it easier to maintain the calorie shortage that’s necessary to encourage fat burning. Faster metabolism increases the calorie shortage helping to set the human fat-burning machine into overdrive.
PhenQ Weight Loss Benefits
Suppresses hunger and cravings
Increases metabolism and fat burning
Fights fatigue
Inhibits fat cell creation
Improves mood
PhenQ Ingredient Highlights
The PhenQ weight loss formula consists of seven carefully selected ingredients. In all cases, their weight loss-enhancing capabilities are backed by science.
One of the key ingredients is a-Lacys Reset. It's a cutting-edge proprietary blend of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and cysteine.
Even when it's acting alone, ALA can deliver a reasonable level of fat loss.[2]
However, the unique pairing turns up the heat to deliver even better results along with modest improvement in muscle mass.
Because it's new and other OTC diet pills do not have it, many people believe a-Lacys Rest is the most important ingredient in PhenQ. That's not true. They are all important.
For instance, much of the formulation's hunger-crushing ability is due to nopal. It's a concentrate taken from Caralluma fimbriata cactus flesh.
Research is highly supportive of using nopal for appetite suppression and for helping waist sizes become smaller. [3, 4]
Cayenne is another top natural appetite suppressant that's present in PhenQ. It's provided via a high-potency branded ingredient called Capsimax.
Cayenne is more versatile than any of the other ingredients in PhenQ. That includes a-Lacys Reset. In addition to taking away hunger, the capsaicin in this hot pepper increases metabolism and delivers other notable benefits, including discouraging the body to store extra fat. [5]
PhenQ Pros & Cons
Pros
Research-backed formulation
Provides multiple weight loss benefits
Does not have any known side effects
Excellent customer reviews
You can buy 2 bottles and get 1 free
60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
Only available via the official website
Sometimes unavailable due to high demand
#2. Phen 24
Another option for Ozempic equivalent is Phen24 - a natural supplement for weight loss
If you decide to use Phen 24 as an alternative to Ozempic, you will be getting two products for the price of one. It’s a two-part weight loss system that consists of two different formulas: Phen 24 Day + Phen 24 Night.
Phen 24 helps prevent weight gain by providing continuous metabolism support.
You take one Phen 24 Day capsule with your breakfast and two Phen 24 Night capsules with your evening meal.
Both supplements suppress hunger but the nighttime version is more powerful to help prevent the desire for late-night snacks. When you are trying to lose weight, eating before bed is one of the worst things for holding you back.
Both supplements also provide metabolism boosters to help you to burn fat faster. However, Phen 24 Day boosts energy. Phen 24 Night does not. It has a mild tranquilizing effect instead that aids restful sleep.
Phen 24 Benefits
Suppresses hunger (night and day)
Fights diet-related fatigue
Improves sleep quality
Delivers 24-hour improvements in metabolism and fat burning
Phen 24 Ingredient Highlights
The daytime formulation gets most of its energy-boosting capabilities from caffeine. However, unlike many other OTC diet pills, it does not go over the top.
Phen 24 Day provides enough caffeine to help keep you feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but it's not enough to make the average person go hypo or start bouncing off the walls.
In addition to being one of the best natural ingredients for boosting energy, caffeine is also a proven fat burner so it's a very useful ingredient to have. [6]
As with PhenQ, much of Phen 24's appetite-suppressing prowess comes courtesy of cayenne [5].
The same is true for its fat-burning capabilities but cayenne is only present in the daytime formula. Phen 24 Night has green tea extract instead.
Like cayenne, green tea is a powerful natural fat burner. The catechins (antioxidants) it provides are also good for the heart. [7]
Phen 24 Night provides hops extract too, along with a generous dose of glucomannan.
Hops Extract adds value to the nighttime formula in a couple of areas. The first thing it does is aid relaxation and sleep. [8]
The second thing hops extract does is enhance belly fat reduction while you are busy sleeping. [9]
Glucomannan is present to prevent evening snacking and nighttime hunger. It's a water-soluble fiber that expands inside the stomach to make it feel full. Research proves glucomannan's ability to provide significant body weight reductions in obese and overweight adults. [10]
Phen 24 Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides proven ingredients
Supports around-the-clock improvements in fat loss
Does not have any known side effects
Safer than Ozempic and Wegovy
You can buy three treatments for the price of two
60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
Only available from the manufacturer's website
#3. Zotrim - Herbal Obesity Medicine
A herbal hunger reducer that works in a similar way to Ozempic is Zotrim - naturally formulated and used for over a decade.
Zotrim is a credible OTC weight loss medication and appetite suppressant made in the UK. Although it’s not as versatile as the other diet pills you could choose instead of the diabetes drug Ozempic, it has a longstanding reputation for providing credible, long-lasting weight loss results.
The manufacturer is very proud of Zotrim’s abilities and quite rightly so. The supplement has outperformed three prescription drugs in clinical trials and helped reduce body mass index naturally. That fact alone draws a lot of attention.
However, although Zotrim is a very credible Ozempic alternative, due to their greater versatility, the previous two options will work faster.
Zotrim Benefits
Suppresses hunger and cravings
Great for losing weight naturally
safer than compounded semaglutide
Helps prevent snacking
Zotrim Ingredients Highlights
The Zotrim diet pill formulation provides six ingredients including yerba mate, guarana, and damiana. All three of them are sourced from plants.
Research conducted at the University of Liverpool shows this combination has a synergy that causes a "robust short-term effect on caloric intake." [10]
Zotrim Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides a combination of ingredients that is proven to suppress hunger
The pills have outperformed prescription drugs
Option to get 3 boxes for the price of two
100-day money-back guarantee
Cons
Less versatile than the other top Ozempic alternatives
Only available from the Zotrim website
What Is Ozempic and How Do You Use It?
Ozempic injectable medication provides the drug Semaglutide. It was developed by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and has been an FDA-approved diabetes treatment since 2017. Ozempic lowers blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin secretion, acting as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist to signal fullness to the brain and delay stomach emptying.
The prescription drug is distributed in a special “pen” that provides several doses via disposable needles that fit on the end. You use the needles once and then throw them away.
When using this drug, it’s important to inject it just under the skin. Never into a vein or muscle.
The initial dose is 0.25 mg per week. Presuming there are no severe side effects, the dose increases to 0.5 mg on week 5.
After a further four weeks, the dose increases to 1 mg of Semaglutide. The maximum dose is 2 mg per week, but not all users need to take that much.
How Does Ozempic Help You to Lose Weight?
Ozempic suppress appetite. It’s not designed to do this. It’s one of the main side effects. The medication is intended for people with type 2 diabetes.
The main ingredient (Semeglutide) stimulates insulin secretion to lower blood glucose levels. Most good diabetes medications work this way. Some doctors prescribe weight loss Ozempic off-label for weight loss, even for people without diabetes, to help them lose weight.
Low Blood Sugar
For people with diabetes, keeping blood sugar levels under control is essential. Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. One way to help with blood sugar regulation and lowering blood sugar levels is to eat a healthy diet and exercise.
A diet that is low in sugar and simple carbohydrates can help to stabilize blood sugar levels. In addition, regular exercise can also help to control blood sugar levels.
Exercise helps the body to better use insulin, and it also helps to burn off excess glucose in the bloodstream. By making some simple lifestyle changes, people with diabetes can aid in blood sugar regulation and reduce their risk of serious complications.
Whether it’s intentional or not, the medication’s ability to reduce hunger allows it to offer value to people who are trying to lose weight.
To be effective, weight management diets need to provide severe reductions in calorie intake. Such reductions can be difficult to live with because they often result in acute hunger.
By reducing hunger, Ozempic helps people who use it to maintain the calorie shortage that’s required to force the body to start burning its fat to get energy.
Because of this, some doctors prescribe Ozempic off-label as an anti-obesity treatment.
Does Ozempic Have Any Side Effects?
Ozempic has the potential to cause a variety of side effects.
Some of the most common ones include:
Heartburn
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Constipation
Diarrhea
Ozempic side effects that are more serious may include:
Fainting
Vision changes
Inflamed pancreas
Changes in heart rate
Difficulty swallowing or breathing
If you are thinking of using Ozempic, you also need to be aware that animal-based research suggests it may increase the risk of tumors and cancer. [12]
Ozempic Alternatives Over the the Counter Summary
Ozempic is a prescription medication to treat diabetes. It contains Semaglutide and can also suppress appetite.
Although Ozempic is an FDA-approved medication that can support weight loss by reducing hunger, there are good arguments for using over the counter alternatives instead. Natural alternatives can aid in blood sugar control and weight management.
Like a lot of prescription medications, Ozempic can cause side effects. Some of them, such as inflammation of the pancreas, are alarming.
The fact that you have injected the medication instead of taking it orally does not work in its favor either. Many people have an aversion to needles and having to use them on yourself is always bad news.
This article provides details about the three best over the counter alternatives to Ozempic. All of them are oral supplements that provide proven ingredients and have money-back guarantees.
In providing this information, we are not trying to put anyone off using Ozempic to promote weight loss. We are only drawing attention to the safer and cheaper natural Ozempic alternatives and highlighting the reasons why they are so good.
Sources of Reference
Topiramate And Phentermine: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482165/
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (Ala) As a Supplementation for Weight Management: Results From a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5523816/
Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17097761/
The Effect of an Orally-Dosed Caralluma Fimbriata Extract on Appetite Control and Body Composition in Overweight Adults: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7991653/
Dietary capsaicin and its anti-obesity potency: from mechanism to clinical implications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5426284/
Normal Caffeine Consumption: Influence on Thermogenesis and Daily Energy Expenditure in Lean and Postobese Human Volunteers: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
A Green Tea Extract High in Catechins Reduces Body Fat and Cardiovascular Risks in Humans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17557985/
The Sedative Effects of Hops (Humulus Lupulus), a Component of Beer, on the Activity/Rest Rhythm: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22849837/
Matured Hop Extract Reduces Body Fat in Healthy Overweight Humans: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Parallel Group Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4784395/
Effects of Glucomannan Supplementation on Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2451847620300968
Acute Effects of a Herb Extract Formulation and Inulin Fibre on Appetite, Energy Intake and Food Choice: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23207186/
Semaglutide Injection: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a618008.html
Ozempic Alternatives FAQ
1. What are the best natural alternatives to Ozempic available OTC or online?
The best natural alternatives to Ozempic that you can buy over the counter or online include PhenQ, Capsiplex, Zotrim, and Gluconite. These supplements are designed to aid in weight loss by boosting metabolism, suppressing appetite, and supporting overall metabolic health.
2. What are the safer options compared to Ozempic?
Safer options compared to Ozempic include PhenQ, Phen24, and Zotrim. These natural supplements are generally well-tolerated and come with fewer side effects. They use ingredients like capsicum extract, yerba mate, and nopal cactus, which are known for their efficacy and safety in promoting weight loss.
3. What are the cheaper equivalents to Ozempic?
Cheaper equivalents to Ozempic include PhenQ, Zotrim, and Capsiplex. These supplements offer effective weight loss benefits at a fraction of the cost of prescription medications like Ozempic. PhenQ, for example, is priced around $69.99 for a one-month supply, with discounts available for bulk purchases.
4. How do natural Ozempic alternatives work?
Natural Ozempic alternatives work by combining ingredients that promote weight loss through various mechanisms. For instance, PhenQ boosts metabolism and suppresses appetite, while Zotrim helps reduce cravings and increase feelings of fullness. These supplements often include natural stimulants, fibers, and plant extracts that support a healthy weight loss journey.
5. Are there any side effects of using natural Ozempic alternatives?
While natural Ozempic alternatives are generally considered safe, some users might experience mild side effects. Common side effects can include digestive issues, increased heart rate, or jitters, especially if the supplement contains caffeine. It's always best to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, particularly if you have underlying health conditions or are taking other medications.
Disclaimer: The above is a contributor post, the views expressed are those of the contributor and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
