Experts have warned against a cheaper and far more accessible alternative to blockbuster weight loss drug Ozempic dieters claim to have found.
Zyn is a brand of flavored nicotine pouches that has exploded in popularity, particularly among Gen Z amid increasing concern about the health risks of e-cigarettes.
Unlike vaping, users get their nicotine fix by holding the pouch in their mouth like hard candy. It then dissolves and enters the bloodstream via gum tissue, leading to a ‘high’ and boost of energy.
On social media, users tout a myriad of benefits – including to boost their workouts, keep them awake and even improve sexual performance.
Now some Zyn users are saying their habit has helped them rapidly lose weight too.
One Instagram user who runs a popular golf page said in a video: ‘The other thing that they don’t tell you is you’ll lose so much weight just replacing Zyn with any hunger. ‘Your boy’s down like 30 pounds in a month. O-Zyn-pic. It works’
A TikToker also said ‘You end up losing 30 to 50 pounds within three months’ in a video captioned ‘How I went from 190 lbs to 140 lbs in less than a year’
One Instagram user who runs a popular golf page said in a video that has so far attracted 4million views: ‘The other thing that they don’t tell you is you’ll lose so much weight just replacing Zyn with any hunger.
‘Your boy’s down like 30 pounds in a month. O-Zyn-pic. It works.’
Another TikToker said in a clip viewed 80,000 times: ‘You end up losing 30 to 50 pounds within three months’ in a video captioned ‘How I went from 190 lbs to 140 lbs in less than a year.’
Other users on Reddit have also seen the effects.
‘I’ve used Zyn nicotine pouches occasionally over the past few years but have started to use them regularly because they help me focus and curb my hunger,’ said one.
Scientists think the reason nicotine products may slightly suppress appetite is because the substance activates neurons in the brain that control hunger.
The Zyn pouches look like tiny tea bags filled with nicotine, with flavors including mint, bubblegum and mango. Placed discretely between your lip and gum, the nicotine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream
Nicotine may also boost the burning of a type of fat which regulates your body temperature in cold conditions.
But this is not well studied, and using the pouches is not a safe or effective way to lose weight, doctors have warned.
Dr Carolyn Bramante, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, told Business Insider she is worried about the unknown potential effects of nicotine pouches on the heart and blood vessels.
The nicotine pouches are also highly addictive known to increase blood pressure, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke in those vulnerable.
It is hardly surprising that Americans are searching for an alternative to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which see users drop an average of five percent of their body weight after three months.
The medications come with a hefty $1,000 a month price tag, and are currently in short supply.
Andrea Hernández, author of consumer trend newsletter Snaxshot, told Business Insider: ‘People want to lose weight, but it’s something people can’t afford and don’t want to talk about. This feels like a discreet way to lose weight.’
