UFC Champion Kayla Harrison revealed she used Zyn nicotine pouches to help with her brutal 30-pound weight cut.

The $1 pouches have been hugely popular among young people and TikTokers for their appetite suppressing effects. 

But they’ve since entered the mainstream, capturing the attention of athletes and politicians.   

Harrison, 34, credited Zyn pouches with helping her cut down from 165lbs to 135lbs in three months for her championship fight at the weekend.

She secured the world title this weekend after tapping out her opponent, before wrapping the belt around President Donald Trump’s waist in a viral photo. 

Harrison, who has historically struggled with weight cutting, has been vocal about her grueling regimen, which includes six miles of biking, running and swimming a day and eating only foods made by a professional chef.

But days after her victory, the mixed martial artist revealed it wasn’t just cardio or dieting that won her the title.

She wrote on X: ‘Shoutout to @zyn for getting me to 135. I’m not sponsored but I wanna be.’ 

UFC fighter Kayla Harrison embraces President Donald Trump after her victory this weekend

Harrison, pictured here with her championship belt, revealed this week that she used Zyn to help her lose 35 pounds to make weight for the competition

Zyn is a brand of tiny nicotine pouches no larger than a thumbnail that has emerged as an unlikely weight loss secret weapon.

It’s well known that nicotine suppresses your appetite by sending satiety signals to receptors in the brain, convincing your brain that you don’t need to eat.

It also ramps up your heart rate and sends in a flood of adrenaline, which activates the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response. In this state, the body doesn’t want food.  

For this reason, cigarettes have long been linked to weight loss, but the risks of lung cancer and heart attacks far outweighs the benefits. 

The same thing happens with Zyn, but the science is much murkier.  

After being inserted between the lips and gum, Zyn releases nicotine into the bloodstream slowly, with effects lasting up to an hour, compared to just minutes for cigarettes. This could stave off hunger for much longer than smoking. 

Experts told DailyMail.com that while the $1 pouch can ward off hunger, it still contains highly addictive nicotine, which attacks arteries and increases the risks of heart attacks and stroke. 

It’s also been shown to lead to gum disease and oral cancers, which are on the rise in the US and UK. 

Zyn has also gained a foothold with conservatives like Harrison. Last year, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson launched his own brand of nicotine pouches called Alp. 

Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr was also seen popping what looked like a Zyn during his confirmation hearings.  

The FDA approved Zyn as a smoking alternative earlier this year, citing evidence it would help wean smokers off traditional tobacco. 

So far, 10 flavors have been approved in the US, including coffee, cinnamon and menthol. 

However, the pouches have been available for over a decade, leading young people to boast improvements to their fitness, energy and sexual performance. 

Gen Z has also dubbed them ‘O-Zyn-pic,’ a reference to it being a significantly cheaper Ozempic alternative for weight loss. 

A pack of 15 Zyn pouches sells for $5-$10, whereas Ozempic can run up to $1,000 a month without insurance.  

The nicotine in Zyn is thought to activate the α3β4 receptors in the brain, which send signals promoting fullness, even if a user is actually hungry. 

It may also increase the production of leptin, a satiety hormone, and boost the body’s ability to burn fat. 

There’s little evidence on the long-term effects of Zyn, but the risks of nicotine have been well documented. 

Dr Hector Perez, lead bariatric surgeon at Renew Bariatrics, told DailyMail.com: ‘I think it’s safe to say that using Zyn as a weight loss drug is like using a chainsaw to slice bread. Yes, Zyn contains nicotine, and yes, nicotine is a known appetite suppressant. 

‘But let’s be clear: using Zyn or any nicotine product as a weight loss tool is not safe, sustainable, or smart. To lose 30 pounds in a few months with nicotine as the main strategy would likely require near-constant dosing, and that’s a chemical crutch verging on addiction, not simply hunger control.’

Tucker Carlson slips a Zyn into his mouth at the Republican National Convention last July

Harrison is pictured here after winning her fight against Julianna Pena. Experts told DailyMail.com that while Zyn may have helped her lose weight, it carries the risk of nicotine addiction

Though Zyn doesn’t contain tobacco, it still has highly addictive nicotine. Roughly 24million Americans over 12, nine percent of the population, are dependent on nicotine.

Nicotine addiction leads to withdrawal symptoms like irritability, cravings, restless legs, anxiety and trouble sleeping. 

The adrenaline rush caused by nicotine also increases heart rate and blood pressure as part of the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ response. While this gives users a burst of excitement, repeated stress on the cardiovascular system makes the heart have to work harder to pump blood.

The weaker the heart and its surrounding arteries get, the more likely they are to become blocked, leading to a heart attack. 

Nicotine also attacks the lungs and reduces their function, which could prove detrimental for elite athletes like Harrison. 

Dr Perez said: ‘Zyn is the Wild West. You’re playing with your heart rate, blood pressure, and potentially your long-term brain chemistry.’ 

Nicotine may also lead to lasting dental issues.

Dr Pia Lieb, cosmetic dentist at Cosmetic Dentistry Center in New York City, told DailyMail.com: ‘Using [Zyn] more long term, users are putting themselves at risk of developing gum disease, as nicotine is a vasoconstricter.’

This means is reduces blood flow to the gums, leading to swelling and bleeding.

‘This can lead to gum recession, which can expose the roots of teeth, making them more vulnerable to decay and sensitivity,’ Dr Lieb added. 

She also warns nicotine is still a carcinogen linked to oral cancers, which strike 60,000 Americans a year and kill 13,000.