Weight loss

Every weight loss claim we've checked against the studies, newest first, each graded from Solid to Debunked by the evidence in people.

Oct 20, 2026 Grade: Solid

Peptides for weight loss: three approved ones cut 8% to 21%

Wegovy, Zepbound and Saxenda cut body weight 8% to 21% in large randomized trials. Retatrutide and research-only vials are not approved.

A man in his mid 30s at a kitchen table looks closely at a yellow capsule he holds between two fingers, beside a glucose meter and a plate of capsules

Oct 16, 2026 Grade: Promising

Berberine lowers blood sugar in type 2 diabetes trials

In a trial of 409 people with new type 2 diabetes, berberine cut HbA1c 0.4 points more than placebo in 12 weeks. In people without diabetes it did little.

An unimpressed man of about 50 with his arms crossed, next to a small glass vial labeled AOD-9604 standing on a white bathroom scale

Oct 8, 2026 Grade: Debunked

AOD-9604 added under 1 kg of weight loss in a 502-person trial

502 adults took an AOD-9604 tablet or a placebo daily for 24 weeks and lost about the same weight. The injection sold today has never had a human trial.

A man of about 50 at a kitchen table holding up a small white pill, with a glass of water beside him

Oct 3, 2026 Grade: Promising

Foundayo and the Wegovy pill cut weight 11% to 14% in trials

In trials, the daily pills Foundayo (orforglipron) and the Wegovy pill cut weight 11% to 14%. People who switched from a shot to the pill kept most of their loss.

A surprised woman in her 30s next to a purple injector pen lying on a white bathroom scale

Oct 1, 2026 Grade: Promising

Retatrutide cut body weight by a quarter in its big trial

In a 2,339-person trial, retatrutide's top dose cut weight by 25% on average, or 28% for those who stayed on it. It hasn't been tested head to head with tirzepatide.

One day of meals at 1.6 grams of protein per kilo for three body weights. 50 kg (110 lb), 80 g of protein: Greek yogurt with oats and blueberries, lentil soup with a slice of bread, and salmon with rice and green beans. 75 kg (165 lb), 120 g: scrambled eggs with toast and a glass of milk, a grilled chicken wrap, and tofu stir-fry over rice. 100 kg (220 lb), 160 g: cottage cheese with peaches, two fried eggs and milk, grilled chicken with quinoa, and steak with a baked potato and broccoli.

Sep 27, 2026 Grade: Solid

For building muscle, 1.6 grams of protein per kilo holds up at every age

Across 49 randomized trials, extra protein added muscle to weight training up to about 1.6 g per kilo a day, and helped people keep muscle while losing weight.

A man in his 30s looking at his flexed arm, with a blue injector pen lying on the table in front of him

Sep 27, 2026 Grade: Debunked

Muscle loss on Ozempic matches any other diet

The claim that 40% of GLP-1 weight loss is muscle mixes up muscle with lean mass. Trial scans show the drugs cost about as much muscle as any weight loss.