The growing popularity of semaglutide-based weight-loss and diabetes medicines in India is now driving a sharp rise in demand for vitamin and nutritional supplements, according to doctors and pharmaceutical market trackers.
Just weeks after generic versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient associated with medicines such as Ozempic, entered the Indian market, clinicians say more patients using GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs are being advised to take multivitamins, protein supplements and minerals to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
Semaglutide belongs to a newer class of anti-obesity and diabetes medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which work largely by suppressing appetite and reducing food intake.
Vitamin supplement sales jump across India
As reported by The Times of India, pharmaceutical market tracker Pharmarack noted a sharp rise in vitamin supplement sales in April following the wider availability of generic semaglutide medicines in India.
The report found that vitamin supplement sales increased by 11.6 per cent in April, reaching Rs 871.85 crore compared to Rs 780.57 crore in March. The wider vitamin-mineral-nutrition category reportedly grew by around 10 per cent during the same period.
Doctors warn about muscle loss and nutritional deficiencies
Medical experts cited by the TOI say one of the biggest concerns surrounding GLP-1 medicines is that reduced food intake may eventually affect overall nutrition if patients are not properly monitored.
Dr Tushar Bandgar, head of endocrinology at KEM Hospital, explained that muscle loss is already recognised as one of the known side effects associated with rapid weight loss on GLP-1 drugs.
“Doctors have been asking patients to take GLP-1 medications along with exercise and protein supplements,” he said.
He added that vitamin supplementation is increasingly becoming important because many patients are unable to meet their daily nutritional requirements through food alone once appetite declines.
“The daily recommended dietary allowance needs to be maintained; otherwise there is a chance one will face severe deficiencies,” Dr Bandgar explained.
Vitamin D, B12 and iron deficiencies becoming common
Some patients starting GLP-1 treatment are also being screened for existing nutritional deficiencies before beginning medication.
A Mumbai resident who recently started another GLP-1 medication said blood tests revealed low levels of vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron before treatment began.
Doctors say such deficiencies are not uncommon in India even before weight-loss treatment starts, which makes proper nutritional monitoring even more important during therapy.
An analysis published earlier this year in the journal Clinical Obesity reviewed six studies involving more than 480,000 middle-aged and older adults with obesity, diabetes or both who were taking GLP-1 medicines.
The study found that vitamin D deficiency was the most common issue after 12 months of treatment, affecting 13.6 per cent of participants. Other problems included nutritional anaemia, iron deficiency and vitamin B deficiency.
Indian doctors call for better nutritional screening guidelines
Endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi said there is still limited Indian data available to fully understand how significantly GLP-1 medicines affect micronutrient levels over time.
He recommends that patients focus on proper hydration, fibre intake and maintaining adequate protein consumption alongside exercise while using weight-loss medications.
According to Dr Joshi, vitamin supplements should ideally only be prescribed after proper medical testing rather than automatically given to all patients.
“We need to strictly screen patients for deficiencies,” he said, adding that doctors are currently working on developing clearer guidelines for clinicians managing patients on GLP-1 therapies.
He also stressed that trained nutritionists should play a role alongside doctors when managing patients taking anti-obesity medications.
Growing use of weight-loss injections raises long-term health questions
The rising popularity of GLP-1 medications globally has transformed obesity treatment, with many patients experiencing significant weight reduction in relatively short periods.
However, doctors say rapid weight loss and long-term appetite suppression can create new nutritional challenges if patients are not carefully monitored.
Inputs from TOI
