Emerging supplements like Elcella and Calocurb claim to promote natural satiety and reduce cravings by stimulating the body’s own hunger hormones, offering a potential alternative to injectable diabetes medications amid cautious scientific optimism.
Natural weight-management products are being promoted as gentler alternatives to injectable diabetes drugs such as Ozempic, as consumers search for ways to curb appetite without prescription medicine. Two of the most visible entrants are Elcella, developed by British neuroscientists, and Calocurb, a hops-derived supplement backed in part by New Zealand public funding, both of which claim to work by encouraging the body’s own release of GLP-1 and related satiety hormones.
Elcella is built around a blend of linseed oil, MCT coconut oil and coconut oil. The company says the formula acts in the lower gut, where it prompts enteroendocrine cells to release GLP-1 and PYY, hormones associated with feelings of fullness. Its recommended regimen begins with four capsules twice daily, at a monthly cost of about £189, before tapering to two a day once the user reaches a target weight. In a consumer trial, participants reportedly lost an average of 6kg over 12 weeks, while most said they experienced fewer cravings for sugar and carbohydrates.
Professor Anthony Hobson, clinical director of The Functional Gut Clinic in London, says the concept is biologically plausible because oil is unusual in the colon and may be interpreted by the nervous system as a signal to slow digestion. He also suggests the product could have longer-term implications for the gut microbiome, given that it appears designed to act lower down the digestive tract than many supplements.
Calocurb takes a different route, using amarasate, an extract from bitter New Zealand hops. According to the company, it is intended to stimulate the release of GLP-1, CCK and PYY, with users taking two capsules twice daily, an hour before meals, for roughly £70 a month. Calocurb says its clinical evidence shows reductions in hunger, cravings and calorie intake, and the product is marketed as plant-based with a delayed-release capsule designed to deliver the ingredient through the digestive system.
A gastroenterologist who uses the supplement in his own practice, Dr Naresh Gunaratnam of MNGI Digestive Health in Minneapolis, says an internal review of published studies led him to conclude that Calocurb boosted natural GLP production several-fold. He argues that such products may have a role for people trying to step down from injectable GLP-1 medicines. That view comes as research from the University of Oxford has found that people stopping those drugs tend to regain weight more quickly than those ending diet programmes, sharpening interest in maintenance strategies that do not rely on prescriptions alone.
Still, specialists urge caution. Dr Megan Rossi, a research fellow at King’s College London, says the mechanism makes sense but warns that promising laboratory findings do not always translate into meaningful results in real patients. Professor Susan Jebb of the University of Oxford says she has not seen evidence that supplements approach the potency of licensed appetite-suppressing medicines. Giles Yeo, professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit in Cambridge, and Rossi both note that dietary changes may offer similar benefits, with protein and fibre able to support the body’s own satiety signals.
The evidence base for Calocurb is growing but remains limited. A study published last week in the journal Obesity found that a bitter hop extract helped reduce fat mass in adults with overweight or obesity who were also given diet and exercise advice, while preserving skeletal muscle. Earlier reports cited by researchers have found reductions in hunger and calorie intake, but experts say the trials remain relatively small and short-term. Rossi also points out that some participants reported nausea, constipation or diarrhoea, which may have influenced how much they ate.
For now, the appeal of these products lies in a simple promise: to harness the body’s own hunger-regulating pathways rather than replace them with injections. Whether that proves enough to make a lasting dent in weight loss remains uncertain. What is clear is that, as the market for GLP-1-style solutions expands, the competition is no longer confined to pharmaceuticals.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
