Can Ozempic Cause Nutrient Deficiencies?
Losing weight on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound may increase your risk of developing nutrient deficiencies because these medications cause people to significantly reduce their food intake.
“If the reduced quantity they are eating is not nutrient-dense, then they may not get all the vitamins and minerals they need,” Rekha B. Kumar, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at Cornell and Chief Medical Officer at Found, told Healthline. Also, if you experience side effects from GLP-1 drugs, like vomiting or diarrhea, you may not absorb all the nutrients from the food you are consuming. However, Tara Schmidt, lead dietitian for the Mayo Clinic Diet, said nutrient deficiencies develop over weeks or sometimes even months.
“Most deficiencies are likely to occur with long-term inadequate intake, such as an overly restrictive diet, malnutrition, or avoidance of entire food groups,” she told Healthline. While there is still not enough data on nutrient deficiencies specific to people on GLP-1 drugs, experts say these are the five most common nutrient deficiencies people can experience and what they can do to avoid them.
Excerpted from Healthline
