TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – You\u2019re probably familiar with the ever-so-popular medications like Ozempic.<\/p>\n
Initially made for those with diabetes, the drug is being prescribed to those hoping to lose weight.<\/p>\n
But we wouldn\u2019t have Ozempic without one of the most gorgeous creatures in our own backyard, the Gila monster.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are the largest native lizard to the United States, they are definitely the largest lizard here in Arizona. Arizona is the epicenter of where you find these guys. And they\u2019re just used to living sort of a slow lifestyle,\u201d said Stephen Cumberworth with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.<\/p>\n
Gila monsters are an iconic creature of the desert southwest.<\/p>\n
And apparently, the scaly reptiles held the secret to modern weight loss!<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a slow metabolism, and they can go on 2, 3, 4 meals in a given year and usually do just fine,\u201d said Cumberworth.<\/p>\n
In the late 1980s, scientists started looking into a specific Gila monster gene.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think later towards the end of the 1990s, they discovered the specific protein in the Gila monster\u2019s venom which was potentially able to get the effects of insulin made by our own bodies, and that was the protein that they then used to come up with all these GLPs that we now have,\u201d said Banner-University Medicine Endocrinologist Dr. Niharika Vennelaganti.<\/p>\n
Gila monster venom is a large part of what helps them go for long periods of time without eating, and though humans still need more than 3-4 meals a year, it is one of the effects of GLP drugs like Ozempic that have become quite popular.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was found they had this protein in their venom that is very similar to the GLP1 protein in humans, that\u2019s responsible for regulation of blood sugar and feelings of fullness and other aspects of digestion,\u201d Cumberworth said.<\/p>\n
Scientists re-created that, and it has benefited people across the world ever since. From those with uncontrolled diabetes, to those who are obese, to those at-risk of heart issues, it\u2019s been life-changing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt acts on the brain and reduces and suppresses appetite, it acts on the GI system to kind of slow the emptying so a person tends to feel fuller and tends to eat less as a result, and it also acts on the pancreas to stimulate insulin release when the patient is eating,\u201d Vennelaganti said.<\/p>\n
Like most medications, there are of course, side effects.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a long-term medication because once you stop it, you lose the benefits of it. Not only is it a diabetes drug, it helps for weight loss. So if people stop it, there is the potential for the weight to come back. But there are immediate side effects to be aware of. Some of the side effects that people should be aware of are GI side effects–people can have nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea,\u201d Vennelaganti said.<\/p>\n
Cumberworth welcomes the newfound attention that Gila monsters are getting, especially when the goal at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to \u201cinspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran desert.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything that gets word out about our native wildlife — our flora and fauna and different reasons why we should care about them, care about their preservation — of course, not just because maybe they\u2019re doing something for us, but for their own sake as well,\u201d Cumberworth said.<\/p>\n
If you take anything away from this story, let it be this: leave wildlife undisturbed. Their survival could save ours.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to joke that Gila stands for gentle if left alone,\u201d said Cumberworth.<\/p>\n
If you haven\u2019t been lucky enough to see a Gila monster in the wild and would like to check out these awesome creatures, the Desert Museum has some you can meet.<\/p>\n