What supplements should you take on a GLP-1?
There is no required list, but eating much less on a GLP-1 raises the risk of nutrient gaps and muscle and bone loss, as a 2025 joint advisory notes. Useful supplements fill gaps you actually have: protein powder when food cannot reach your protein target, fiber for constipation, and calcium and vitamin D if your diet falls short. Skip anything sold as a GLP-1 booster, and check every supplement with your prescriber.
Key takeaways
- A 2025 joint advisory lists nutrient deficiencies from eating less, and muscle and bone loss, among the main challenges of GLP-1 treatment.
- Protein is the gap that matters most. Use powder or shakes only when food cannot reach your target.
- Fiber supplements can help if constipation is a problem, together with fluids.
- Calcium and vitamin D matter for bone, and after 50 women need 1,200 mg of calcium and 600 IU of vitamin D a day.
- Supplements labelled as GLP-1 boosters do nothing useful on top of a GLP-1 medicine.
- Supplements are not approved by the FDA before sale. Tell your prescriber and pharmacist about all of them.
Once a GLP-1 medicine starts working, most people eat far less than before. That is the point of the medicine, and it is also why the question of supplements comes up. The honest answer is shorter than most supplement lists: take what fills a gap you actually have, and skip the rest.
Why nutrition gaps happen on a GLP-1
In 2025, four societies (the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society) published a joint advisory on nutrition during GLP-1 treatment. Among the main challenges it lists are nutritional deficiencies caused by eating less, and loss of muscle and bone. It calls for preventing nutrient deficiencies and preserving muscle and bone through resistance training and an appropriate diet.1
That gives a clear order of priorities: protein first, then the nutrients most likely to fall short.
Supplements that can help
| When it makes sense | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein powder or shake | When food cannot reach your protein target | The most useful for most people |
| Fiber supplement | If constipation is a problem | Take with plenty of fluid |
| Calcium | If dairy and other calcium foods fall short | 1,200 mg a day after 50, from all sources |
| Vitamin D | If your level is low | Your doctor can test it |
| Multivitamin | If you eat very little or a narrow diet | Discuss with your prescriber or dietitian |
Protein
Protein is the gap that matters most, because it protects muscle while weight falls. In a meta-analysis of 24 trials, higher protein diets with the same calories kept about 0.4 kg more lean mass than standard protein diets.5 On a GLP-1, small appetite makes reaching a protein target from food hard, and a shake is often the easiest fix: 20 to 30 g in a drink you can sip slowly. Protein shakes on a GLP-1 covers how to choose one, and protein and muscle loss on GLP-1 medications sets out the target.
Fiber
Constipation is a common side effect. Fiber from food, plus enough fluid, is the first step, and a fiber supplement can help if food is not enough. GLP-1 constipation goes into it.
Calcium and vitamin D
Bone loss is one of the challenges the advisory names.1 After 50, women need 1,200 mg of calcium and 600 IU of vitamin D a day, and more is not better.3 If you eat little dairy or other calcium foods, a supplement may be worth it, but your total from food and pills together should not exceed the upper limit.
What to skip
- GLP-1 booster supplements. Products labelled as natural GLP-1 have no meaningful effect next to the medicine you already take. GLP-1 supplements goes through the evidence.
- Berberine. Its own weight effect averaged under 1 kg in a 2026 meta-analysis of 23 studies,4 and it can interfere with some medicines.
- Fat burners and detox teas. Dietary supplements do not need FDA approval before they are sold, and neither do their claims.2
Track the gap before you buy
Most supplement decisions on a GLP-1 come down to one question: how much protein are you actually getting? Protein Buddy asks whether you take a GLP-1 in its short quiz and sets a daily protein target to match, then Home shows how many grams are left today as you log. Typing meals in by hand is free with no limit, which helps on days when you manage only a few bites. A week of logging shows whether you need a shake a day or none.
Talk to your prescriber
Tell your prescriber and pharmacist about every supplement you take, since some can change how medicines work. If you are struggling to eat, losing weight faster than expected, feeling weak or dizzy, or have ongoing nausea, vomiting or constipation, contact your prescriber rather than adding more supplements.
More questions about GLP-1
What is the best supplement to take with tirzepatide?
The most useful is often a protein powder or ready-to-drink shake, because appetite drops so much that reaching a protein target from food alone is hard. Beyond that, fiber for constipation and calcium and vitamin D if your diet falls short. Ask your prescriber before adding anything.
Do I need a multivitamin on a GLP-1?
Maybe. Eating much less can leave gaps, and the 2025 GLP-1 nutrition advisory calls for preventing nutrient deficiencies. Whether a multivitamin is the right answer depends on how much and what you eat, so it is worth discussing with your prescriber or a dietitian.
Should I take berberine with a GLP-1?
It does not add anything useful. Berberine's own weight effect is under 1 kg on average in a 2026 meta-analysis, and it can interfere with some medicines. Talk to your prescriber before taking it with any prescription drug.
Can I take a protein shake on Ozempic or Zepbound?
Yes. A shake is one of the easiest ways to get 20 to 30 g of protein when solid food feels like too much. Look for one with at least 20 g of protein and little added sugar, and sip it slowly if nausea is a problem.
Do GLP-1 booster supplements work?
No product sold as a GLP-1 booster has shown effects anywhere near the medicines, and on top of a GLP-1 medicine they add nothing useful. Supplements do not need FDA approval before they are sold, and neither do their claims.
References
- Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society
- Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D
- The effect of berberine on obesity indices: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
