Zeus Hygia warns brands: Metaberine GLP-1 study does not mean weight loss

Zeus Hygia Life Sciences, the India-based supplier of the berberine extract Metaberine, has urged supplement makers not to treat results from a recent GLP-1 study as evidence of weight loss. According to NutraIngredients-USA, the study was published in the International Journal of Clinical Trials, and CK Nutraceuticals distributes the extract in North America. The company stresses that the trial was not designed to establish weight-loss efficacy.

What the study showed

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study included 36 participants with a mean BMI of about 25.8 and ran for 14 days. Fasting GLP-1 rose 29% and postprandial GLP-1 rose 22%, while placebo produced little change. The trial reported a statistically significant difference in weight change of about 0.35 kg: weight held roughly level with Metaberine but rose slightly with placebo. The study also reported reductions in glucose exposure and peak glucose, and modest favorable lipid changes, including lower LDL and higher HDL cholesterol.

Why the company is urging caution

Berberine has been dubbed “nature’s Ozempic,” which has fueled consumer demand and coincided with a surge in sales. Mouli Srikar Avileli, senior business development manager at Zeus Hygia, asked brands not to encourage that comparison and to clearly separate support for the body’s natural GLP-1 response from prescription GLP-1 receptor agonist medications. He said these are not equivalent approaches and that a botanical supplement should not lead consumers to expect comparable weight-loss results. The company says the focus should be on glucose metabolism and the endogenous GLP-1 response, and that weight-management claims should rest on clinical evidence rather than being inferred from GLP-1 changes alone. Avileli also noted that GLP-1 plays a role in glucose regulation, insulin secretion and appetite signaling.

Dosage and further research

Zeus Hygia says its proprietary processing improves berberine’s solubility and absorption, so the daily dose of Metaberine is 200 mg, compared with the 500–1,500 mg typical of standard extracts. In a separate pharmacokinetic study that the company cites, a 200 mg dose reached a peak concentration 37 times higher than that of a conventional berberine powder, within 30 minutes rather than eight hours. According to the company, bioavailability is about nine times higher. Avileli said the lower dose could allow more compact dosage forms and multi-ingredient formulas, but longer comparative studies are needed to show effects on adherence and tolerability. He also confirmed that a second clinical study is underway, evaluating additional weight-management markers, including BMI and waist circumference.