TikTok users claim this oat-based drink aided them in significant weight loss. Does it actually work?

On the coattails of the Ozempic craze, a popular weight-loss drug, comes a new oats-based drink touted across TikTok for its ability to aid in weight loss.

“Oatzempic” — a clever ode to Ozempic — is a blended drink made with oats, water and lime juice. It’s a cheaper, natural alternative to popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, but experts warn the beverage is a far cry from weight loss drugs, per The New York Times.

In spite of the beverage’s “nasty” taste, several consumers are taking part in a 30-day Oatzempic challenge, in hopes the beverage will help them shed weight. Proponents of the Oatzempic challenge claim drinking the beverage on an empty stomach every morning will help them in losing up to 40 pounds in just a couple months.

According to one TikTok user, who goes by TheChorroKing, Oatzempic keeps your stomach full and curbs hunger, so you eat less.

“For the beginners that are starting this drink, the first couple of days you’ll feel extremely full and this thing will curb your hunger,” he says in a TikTok video. “This thing is not a meal replacement. This is just an oatmeal drink. So if you’re using this as a meal replacement ... you better start eating after.”

Popular weight loss medications work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone called GLP-1 that signals to the brain that the body is full. The result is a significantly decreased appetite, paving the way for weight loss, per USA Today.

Research shows that consuming oats has several health benefits, such as lowering “bad” cholesterol, reducing blood sugar spikes and offering a healthy source of soluble fiber. But oats should not be relied on for weight loss, but rather as part of a healthy diet, experts told The New York Times.

Does Oatzempic help you lose weight?

There is no research that shows drinking Oatzempic will help you lose weight. Experts warn that the oat drink is not a healthy weight-loss tactic.

“Oats are not Ozempic. Not even close,” Emily Haller, a dietitian in the lifestyle medicine program at Trinity Health Ann Arbor in Michigan, told The New York Times. Haller thinks Oatzempic is “just another trend” that will likely “be very short-lived.”

Lisa Valente, a registered dietitian and nutrition editor at Healthline, echoed Haller’s perspective on the trendy drink.

“Blended oat drinks are not the same as prescription drugs. It also seems like a dangerous trend that promotes disordered eating and isn’t nutritionally sound or based in science,” Valente told CBS News.

“Fast weight loss can be possible when you restrict calories significantly, and this drink is quite low in calories, so if you are using it as a meal replacement, it may lead to fast weight loss,” Valente explains. “However, I wouldn’t recommend it because it is not a safe way to lose weight.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends losing weight gradually (about one to two pounds per week). People with steady weight loss are less likely to gain the pounds back and more likely to avoid adverse effects to rapid weight loss such as hair loss, loss of lean muscle tissue and irritability.

“If a person stops the oatzempic diet, they’re likely to regain the weight they lost and may end up in a yo-yo dieting cycle,” Dr. Avantika Waring, an endocrinologist and chief medical officer of 9amHealth, told CBS News. “We know that medically, losing and regaining weight repeatedly can actually make sustaining a healthy weight harder.”