Should you take Ozempic? The 5 things you need to know before starting GLP-1 drugs | Dr Ania Jastreboff
ZOE Science & Nutrition
Health Benefits Beyond Weight
Dr. Ania reviews trials showing cardiovascular, kidney, sleep apnea and liver benefits beyond weight loss.
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are now everywhere. But what do they actually do beyond weight loss? And what do you need to know before starting them?
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Ania Jastreboff, a world-leading researcher at the forefront of GLP-1 treatments and writer of the New York Times bestselling book Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like To Be Free, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey.
Dr Jastreboff explains everything you need to know about Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications for 2026. You’ll learn how GLP-1s may reduce the risk of heart disease, improve blood sugar control, and support conditions like sleep apnoea. We also explore why weight often returns after stopping, and what you need to know about Ozempic side effects and long-term use.
If these drugs can change how your brain controls hunger, what does that mean for willpower, weight gain, and how we treat obesity long term?
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Timecodes
00:00 Intro
04:25 What these drugs are really treating
06:42 The hunger problem nobody could name
10:57 The diabetes side effect that changed everything
12:15 Why Ozempic isn’t just “more GLP-1”
15:51 Why Mounjaro works differently to Ozempic
17:56 The part everyone gets wrong
20:15 Can these drugs protect your heart?
21:25 The 94% diabetes finding
22:09 Why the weight can come back
23:50 Do you have to take them forever?
25:30 Can you trust pharma-funded trials?
27:46 The risk of microdosing GLP-1s
31:41 Are these drugs becoming surgery-level?
34:10 The health effects beyond weight loss
37:22 The side effects people should expect
40:15 Could stopping leave you worse off?
41:35 Who should actually take GLP-1 drugs?
43:40 The biggest mistake when starting treatment
46:28 What to eat when your appetite drops
50:03 Why these are not weight loss aids
51:52 Should healthy people take small doses?
53:14 The exercise rule people miss
54:24 What comes after Ozempic and Mounjaro?
📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
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Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
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Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
Retatrutide for Obesity, The New England Journal of Medicine (2023)
Healthy Weight Loss Maintenance with Exercise, Liraglutide, or Both Combined, The New England Journal of Medicine (2021)
Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients, The New England Journal of Medicine (2016)
Tirzepatide for Obesity Treatment and Diabetes Prevention, The New England Journal of Medicine (2025)
Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity, The New England Journal of Medicine (2024)
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Episode transcripts are available here.
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