Plant-based high-protein shake significantly reduces acute semaglutide-induced GI symptoms like bloating and constipation

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) like semaglutide are highly effective for weight management but frequently cause bothersome gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, such as nausea, bloating, and constipation. These symptoms can compromise nutritional intake, potentially leading to inadequate protein consumption and an increased risk of muscle loss. Addressing these GI side effects is crucial for patient adherence and overall health, prompting investigation into dietary interventions that can mitigate these common challenges without compromising the efficacy of GLP-1RA therapy.

This study enrolled 20 participants actively receiving semaglutide therapy (comprising 13 individuals on Ozempic and 7 on Wegovy) to investigate the acute impact of a plant-based high-protein nutrition shake (PBHPNS) on gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. Participants consumed the PBHPNS, and acute GI symptoms were assessed 2 hours post-consumption using self-reported measures. The primary endpoint was the change in specific GI symptoms, particularly abdominal bloating and constipation. The study design focused on evaluating acute changes after a single shake consumption, implicitly using a within-subject comparison for symptom changes.

Acute gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms showed significant improvement within 2 hours of consuming the plant-based high-protein nutrition shake (PBHPNS). The study, which included 20 participants on semaglutide (13 on Ozempic, 7 on Wegovy), reported no dropouts, indicating good tolerance of the nutritional intervention. Specifically, participants experienced a notable reduction in abdominal bloating and constipation, with these improvements reaching statistical significance (P < 0.05). This rapid alleviation of two common and bothersome semaglutide side effects suggests a potential immediate benefit from the shake. While the abstract highlights these specific acute improvements, it also contains an ambiguous note about "no statistically significant changes in GI symptoms w", which may imply that broader or non-acute GI symptoms did not change significantly, or that the overall GI symptom score did not reach significance despite the targeted improvements in bloating and constipation. However, the clear, acute reduction in specific symptoms is the primary positive finding.

Acute GI symptoms, particularly abdominal bloating and constipation, improved significantly within 2 hours of PBHPNS consumption (P < 0.05).