Health
Should you microdose Ozempic? Experts are split on risks vs benefits
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The rise of GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) has introduced new approaches to both weight loss and overall metabolic health.
Some users have found that microdosing, or taking the drug in small amounts, achieves the best health outcomes, but some experts warn against it.
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Terry Dubrow, a plastic surgeon and TV personality based in Newport Beach, California, recommended that everyone takes a low daily dose, even if they don’t need to lose weight.
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“I am obsessed with the concept of microdosing,” he said. “I think maybe half the starting dose for diabetes is the way to go — and you probably don’t need it every seven days, it’s probably every 10 days, just to sort of modulate the amount of sugar in the blood.”
Microdosing GLP-1s could be more costly long-term, according to a bariatric surgeon. (iStock)
The approach has gained popularity on social media, as influencers and self-proclaimed “health gurus” have promoted it even for people without diabetes or obesity.
In a recent episode of the Full Send podcast, Bryan Johnson, a venture capitalist and online creator who aims to reverse aging and extend human lifespan, shared that he microdoses Ozempic.
WHY MICRODOSING OZEMPIC COULD BECOME AS COMMON AS TAKING A MULTIVITAMIN
“There are some side effects. For example, the dose I’m on raises my resting heart rate by two or three beats, which is a big deal for me, but the benefits are great,” he said.
“GLP-1s are the first legit longevity drug,” he went on. “It’s an amazing drug … There’s just nothing that rivals its efficacy.”
“It’s an amazing drug … There’s just nothing that rivals its efficacy,” Bryan Johnson said about Ozempic. (iStock)
Johnson suggested that a future where most people are microdosing GLP-1s is “not too far off.”
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“I am as healthy as a person can be, and I still benefit from GLP-1s,” he said. “It has other metabolic effects, it has good neuroprotective effects.”
Despite these claims, some weight-loss experts find this approach to be not only more costly, but also less effective.
One longevity guru suggested that a future where most people are microdosing a GLP-1s is “not too far off.” (REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo)
Dr. Andre Teixeira, a bariatric surgeon with the Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute, told Fox News Digital that microdosing is “truly dependent” on the individual.
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“The concern is there is no true protocol for it,” he said. “We do not do microdosing at our practice.”
While some people may think microdosing is cheaper, the doctor claims it can be “more expensive in the long run.”
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“[That’s] because you’re adjusting the dose and then not getting the full benefits of the medication,” he said. “I see people who get frustrated that they are not achieving the weight-loss goal they were hoping for because they are spreading out their doses.”
“The risk is that you’re not only playing with the potential benefits, but you’re also playing with the side effects, like nausea and vomiting.”
The expert recommends working closely with a healthcare provider before starting a GLP-1. “I do not encourage microdosing on your own,” he added.
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Fox News Digital reached out to GLP-1 drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Lilly for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
Health
LeAnn Rimes’ emotional reaction to jaw release therapy sparks widespread buzz
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Singer LeAnn Rimes has gone viral for her reaction while receiving jaw release therapy.
In a session with Garry Lineham, co-founder of Human Garage in California — a resource for self-healing practices — Rimes received an intra-oral massage, releasing the tension in her jaw. She seemed to instantly feel relief, sobbing on the table.
Jaw release therapy, which involves the massaging or stretching of muscles in the face, is popular for relieving TMJ pain, headaches and jaw clicking, according to experts.
LEANN RIMES BREAKS DOWN INTO TEARS WHILE UNDERGOING ‘DEEP JAW RELEASE’
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Lineham shared that stress has an immense impact on human health, especially on muscle tension and pain.
“We hold emotions in our body,” he said. “Emotions cause a sympathetic response or a stress response in the body.”
“When you release the jaw, instantaneously you come out of that fight or flight mode,” Lineham said. (iStock)
“Stress is one thing that impacts every disease, whether it’s emotional or physical, whether it is genetic,” he went on. “Stress is the thing that makes genetics pop. If you take away stress, those genetic markers no longer express themselves.”
STUDY REVEAL WHY CHEWING GUM MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP WITH FOCUS AND STRESS RELIEF
Clenching the jaw can create stress, which happens naturally with physical and emotional exertion, according to Lineham.
“If you clench your jaw and hold it there for three to five minutes … you’ll actually fire adrenaline and norepinephrine (hormones and neurotransmitters),” he said.
This sends a message to the body that you’re bracing for an “attack,” releasing hormones like stress, Lineham added.
“When you release the jaw, then instantaneously you come out of fight or flight mode.”
How jaw release works
Jaw release therapy targets the fascia, or the connective tissue that supports the body’s muscles, organs and joints. Stretching the fascia also allows the muscle to stretch, providing relief, Lineham said.
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“When you release the jaw, then instantaneously you come out of that fight or flight mode,” he said. “And if you’ve been there for a long time, like most people have, it instantaneously shocks the nervous system in a good way.”
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Dr. Justin Richer, oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Riverside Oral Surgery in New Jersey, shared the benefits and risks of jaw release treatment with Fox News Digital.
Jaw release therapy can help with facial pain and muscle tightness. (iStock)
Certain muscles in the body, such as the shoulder or back, can tense up and “overreact to problems that are going on within them,” said the doctor, who did not treat Rimes.
“Jaw release is almost like a massage or similar technique, to put pressure on the muscles and let the tension that’s built up just kind of relax away,” he said. “It’s not something that a lot of people do.”
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The procedure is most beneficial for those with symptoms of TMJ, facial and muscle pain, and tightness, according to Richer.
Some physical therapists and massage therapists offer this treatment, but Richer recommends seeking help from an oral-facial pain specialist or surgeon who “really understands the anatomy of the jaw joint.”
Dr. Richer recommends seeing an oral surgeon or specialist before seeking the procedure. (iStock)
“If it’s done properly, there’s very minimal risk,” he said. “What we get concerned about is undue manipulation of the joint, so either cracking or distorting or trying to forcefully move the joint . . . that can actually cause undue harm from an orthopedic perspective.”
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Despite the benefits, Richer stressed that this kind of therapy may be a temporary fix, as it could be treating only the symptoms of an underlying problem.
“Get a diagnosis first before you go ahead and start manipulating things,” he advised.
Health
Study reveals one simple eating habit that may help boost weight loss
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Losing weight might be as simple as sticking to the meals you know, a new study found.
People who ate the same meals more often lost more weight during a 12-week weight-loss program, according to a new study published in Health Psychology.
“Maintaining a healthy diet in today’s food environment requires constant effort and self-control,” lead author Charlotte Hagerman of the Oregon Research Institute said in a statement.
SIMPLE WEIGHT-LOSS QUIZ MAY PINPOINT WHY SOME DIETS FAIL — AND HOW TO BOOST SUCCESS
“Creating routines around eating may reduce that burden and make healthy choices feel more automatic.”
Experts say maintaining muscle after 50 may require more protein than the minimum federal guideline. (iStock)
Hagerman and fellow researchers from Drexel University and the Oregon Research Institute analyzed food logs from 112 adults who were overweight or obese who tracked their meals in an app and weighed themselves daily, according to the study.
The researchers measured “routinized” eating in two main ways —how much participants’ daily calorie intake fluctuated and how often they repeated the same meals and snacks over time, according to the paper.
DOCTOR WARNS MANY AMERICANS EAT ‘FOOD-LIKE SUBSTANCES,’ NOT REAL FOOD
Those whose diets included more repeated foods lost an average of 5.9% of their body weight compared to 4.3% for those whose eating patterns were more varied, according to a press release from the American Psychological Association.
A man shows how much weight he has lost by holding out the waist of his jeans, symbolizing his successful diet. (iStock)
People who kept their daily calorie intake more consistent also lost more weight, according to the researchers.
Liza Baker, a Vermont-based nutrition expert and founder of Simply: Health Coaching, said the findings line up with what she has seen firsthand in more than a decade of working with clients.
“Removing the mental load of ‘What’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner?’ can make the wellness journey much more sustainable,” Baker told Fox News Digital.
A breakfast of oatmeal porridge with summer berries. (iStock)
She said repeat meals can reduce decision fatigue and make it easier for people to stick to healthier habits, especially when they are packing lunches, cooking at home and following a simple routine.
Baker said people do not necessarily have to repeat every meal to see benefits.
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“One can start by eating one meal that is repetitive, usually breakfast or lunch,” she said. “As results start to show, it’s then more conducive to increasing to two to three repetitive meals a day.”
At the same time, experts cautioned that the findings do not prove cause and effect. The study was observational, meaning it found an association between routine eating and greater weight loss but could not show that repetition alone caused the better results, according to the researchers.
Consistency — not variety — may be key when it comes to weight loss, researchers found. (iStock)
Baker also warned that repeat meal plans can backfire if they are not nutritionally balanced or if they trigger perfectionism.
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“Unless someone is well-versed in nutrition, setting up a repeat meal plan can quickly become a nutritional nightmare that leads to becoming deficient in one or more nutrients,” she said.
The study authors similarly noted that too little variety could come with trade-offs. Future research is needed to determine whether a more repetitive diet should be actively recommended as a weight-loss strategy, they said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the study’s authors for comment.
Health
Prayer for Weight Loss Works: How Faith Can Help You Shed Weight Faster
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