Your Digestion on a GLP-1
Then your gut slows down.
Fullness that lasts for hours. Sulfur burps. Bloating on days you've barely eaten. These are some of the most common complaints on a GLP-1, and they share a simple cause: your medication slows down how fast food leaves your stomach.
The short version
- GLP-1 medicines slow how fast your stomach empties. Doctors call this delayed gastric emptying.1
- In studies that measured it directly, half a meal took about 36 minutes longer to leave the stomach.1
- Many GLP-1 add-ons are fiber. A registered dietitian warns fiber on slowed digestion can make bloating and nausea worse.2
- +Steady adds no fiber. It uses digestive enzymes, a probiotic, ginger and peppermint instead.*
What delayed gastric emptying means
Normally, your stomach moves food into your small intestine at a steady pace. GLP-1 medicines slow that pace down, which is part of how they help you feel full for longer.1
A 2024 review pooled the research. In studies that measured it directly, half of a meal took about 138 minutes to leave the stomach on a GLP-1, compared with 95 minutes on a placebo.1
36 min
longer for half a meal to leave the stomach1
23%
had constipation in the largest trial, vs 10% on placebo4
When food sits longer, you feel it. Early fullness, bloating, burping and what one writer called:
"next-level indigestion"
Forever Millennials, on her first months on a GLP-15
Slower digestion overall can also mean constipation. In the largest trial of one weekly GLP-1, 23% of people on the medication had it, compared with 10% on placebo.4
Why we left out added fiber
Fiber is the go-to fix for a lot of digestive problems, so many GLP-1 products are fiber powders or gummies. The catch is that fiber adds bulk, and your digestive system is already moving slowly. Registered dietitian Kayley George warns that adding fiber on top of slowed digestion "can significantly worsen" bloating, nausea and constipation.2
We're not against fiber. Your body still needs it. The best approach is to get it from whole foods, increase it slowly and drink plenty of water. If your clinician has told you to take a fiber supplement, keep following their advice.
What +Steady uses instead
- DigeZyme®: a blend of five digestive enzymes (amylase, protease, lipase, lactase and cellulase) that help break down carbs, protein and fat.*
- LactoSpore®: a hardy, spore-forming probiotic at 6 billion CFU per serving. That's three times the 2 billion CFU a day used in a 4-week study of 70 adults with occasional gas and bloating.6
- Ginger root extract: in a study of 24 healthy adults, 1,200 mg of ginger helped the stomach empty faster.7 +Steady's ginger is part of a 325 mg digestive blend, so its amount is lower than in that study.
- Peppermint leaf and bromelain: peppermint is a traditional digestive herb, and bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme from pineapple.*
One honest note: none of these ingredients has been studied in people taking a GLP-1, and +Steady isn't designed to change how your medication works.
Small habits that help
Clinical recommendations for GLP-1 stomach side effects come back to a few simple habits, especially in the first weeks and after each dose increase:3
- Eat smaller portions, and stop as soon as you feel full.
- Go easy on high-fat and spicy foods.
- Drink enough water through the day, especially if things have slowed down.
What +Steady can and can't do
It can
- Support digestive comfort with enzymes, a probiotic, ginger and peppermint.*
- Give your digestive system that support with no added fiber and no extra bulk.
It can't
- Change how your GLP-1 slows digestion.
- Stop nausea that starts in the brain.
- Replace your clinician's advice on constipation.
Break it down. Don't bulk it up.
Digestive enzymes, a 6 billion CFU probiotic, ginger and peppermint in two capsules a day, with zero added fiber.*
SEE THE FULL FORMULA30-day money-back guarantee. Free shipping on subscriptions.
Sources
- Hiramoto B, et al. Quantified metrics of gastric emptying delay by glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2024;119(6):1126-1140. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000002820
- Kayley George, RDN, quoted in an EatingWell article on supplements to avoid with a GLP-1. https://www.eatingwell.com/supplements-to-avoid-when-taking-a-glp-1-11883529
- Wharton S, et al. Managing the gastrointestinal side effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists in obesity: recommendations for clinical practice. Postgraduate Medicine. 2022;134(1):14-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00325481.2021.2002616
- Wilding JPH, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;384:989-1002. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
- Forever Millennials (Substack), a personal account of 9 months on GLP-1 medication. https://forevermillennials.substack.com/p/9-months-on-weight-loss-medsheres
- Randomized, placebo-controlled study of Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (LactoSpore®) at 2 billion CFU a day in 70 adults with gas and bloating. Medicine. 2023. Funded by the ingredient maker. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9982755/
- Wu KL, et al. Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2008;20(5):436-440. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18403946/
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This page is for general education, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber or pharmacist before starting any supplement, and before changing anything about your medication. DigeZyme®, LactoSpore® and BioPerine® are registered trademarks of Sabinsa Corporation. Last reviewed October 2026.