GLP-1 Boost Naturally For Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight, you do not necessarily need prescription medication. There are natural ways to support the same hormone those popular weight-loss drugs work on, and most of them are already sitting in the fruit and vegetable aisle.
Let me be straight with you before we start, because I would rather say this than smooth over it. Food will not do what an injectable GLP-1 drug does. Those medications hold GLP-1 activity at a level your body would never reach on its own, and that is the whole point of them. What food does is nudge your own GLP-1 up, gently and repeatedly, several times a day, for as long as you keep eating that way. Different scale, different thing. Still very much worth doing.
What GLP-1 actually is
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone produced in the intestine in response to food intake. It plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels, appetite and overall metabolism.
It is secreted by the L cells in your intestine when they detect nutrients arriving, and it works by binding to receptors in various tissues, including the pancreas, brain and stomach.
So this is not an exotic substance. You made some this morning, with breakfast.
What GLP-1 does once it is released
- Insulin secretion. GLP-1 stimulates the release of insulin from pancreatic beta cells in response to elevated blood sugar levels. This helps lower blood glucose and maintain glycaemic control.
- Appetite regulation. GLP-1 acts on the brain to reduce appetite and promote feelings of fullness, leading to decreased food intake.
- Gastric emptying. GLP-1 slows down gastric emptying, which helps regulate the rate at which nutrients are absorbed from the gut and control blood sugar levels.
- Beta cell function. GLP-1 promotes the growth and survival of pancreatic beta cells, enhancing their ability to secrete insulin in response to glucose.
Read that list again and you will see why it has become such an interesting hormone. It is not doing one job. It is sitting at the junction of appetite, blood sugar and digestion all at once.
Five foods that increase GLP-1 secretion
1. Fibre-rich foods
Fibre is a key nutrient that can stimulate the release of GLP-1 from the L cells in the intestine. Foods high in soluble fibre such as fruits, vegetables, oats, barley, legumes, psyllium, chia seeds and flaxseed have been shown to increase GLP-1 levels. These foods not only promote satiety and weight management but also help regulate blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin secretion.
2. Protein-rich foods
Protein is another nutrient that can stimulate GLP-1 secretion and promote satiety. Foods high in protein, such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and plant-based sources like tofu and legumes, can increase GLP-1 levels. Including protein-rich foods in your meals can help regulate appetite, improve metabolic health and support weight management.
3. Healthy fats
Certain types of fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), nuts, seeds and avocados, have been shown to enhance GLP-1 secretion. Including sources of healthy fats in your diet can not only increase GLP-1 levels but also improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation and support overall cardiovascular health.
4. Spices and herbs
Certain spices and herbs have been found to stimulate GLP-1 secretion and enhance metabolic function. Cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and fenugreek have all been shown to increase GLP-1 levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Incorporating these flavourful ingredients into your meals can enhance the taste and provide potential health benefits by boosting GLP-1 production.
5. Green tea
Green tea is rich in catechins, a type of antioxidant that has been linked to increased GLP-1 secretion. Studies have shown that consuming green tea or green tea extracts can enhance GLP-1 levels, promote fat oxidation and improve metabolic health. A cup of green tea as part of your daily routine is a simple and refreshing way to support GLP-1 production and overall wellbeing. If polyphenols are the thread you want to pull on, I wrote about them in Polyphenols For Gut Health And Skin Health.
Why fibre works, and why it is really about your gut bacteria
This is the part I find most interesting, and it is the part most articles skip.
Fibre does not stimulate your L cells directly. You cannot digest soluble fibre, so it travels through to your large intestine intact, and your gut bacteria ferment it. What they produce in the process are short-chain fatty acids, mainly butyrate, acetate and propionate. Those short-chain fatty acids are what your L cells respond to, through specific receptors on their surface, and that is what triggers GLP-1 release.
Which means the fibre is the raw material, but your gut bacteria are doing the work. Feed them well and you get more short-chain fatty acids. More short-chain fatty acids, more GLP-1 signalling. It is a genuinely elegant piece of biology, and it is the reason "eat more fibre" turns out to be far better advice than it sounds.
I have written more on this in Butyrate: Weight Management And Gut Health, and on one bacterium researchers find particularly interesting for metabolic health in Akkermansia: Everything You Need To Know.
A closer look at turmeric
Turmeric, a spice long recognised for its medicinal properties, contains the polyphenol curcumin. Studies in animals show that curcumin can improve blood sugar control by increasing GLP-1 release (Kato et al, 2017).
One small human study showed that curcumin at 1,500mg daily reduced weight and blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, which may be related to curcumin's effect on GLP-1 (Hodaei et al, 2019). Small study, specific population, so hold it lightly. But it is a reasonable reason to be generous with the turmeric.
If you are already taking a GLP-1 medication
A lot of people reading this will be on one, or thinking about coming off one, and you deserve a straight answer rather than being ignored.
Nothing in this article is a reason to stop or change a prescribed medication, and please do not use it that way. That is a conversation for you and your doctor, nobody else.
What I will say is that everything on this list is simply good eating. Fibre, protein, real fats, plants, spices. It is the same advice whether you are on a medication, coming off one, or have never considered one. If you are eating this way already, you are supporting your own GLP-1 production every single day, and that is a habit that keeps working long after any prescription ends.
Where Gut Food fits
Getting enough soluble fibre every day is the single hardest part of this list to actually do. Most of us manage it on a good week and nowhere near it on a busy one.
Nourished Blends Gut Food is the one I keep on my own bench for exactly that reason. It is formulated by clinical nutritionist Lynsey Koch, and it is a wholefood blend built around the soluble fibres and prebiotics your gut bacteria ferment into the short-chain fatty acids we talked about above. One scoop, stirred into whatever you are already drinking.
Shop Nourished Blends Gut Food here
If you would like to see what goes into it, there is an ingredients spotlight here, and a rather good zucchini cake recipe here if you would rather eat it than drink it.
The short version
GLP-1 is a key hormone in the regulation of metabolism, appetite and blood sugar. You produce it yourself, every time you eat, and what you eat changes how much of it you make.
Fibre, protein, good fats, spices and green tea all nudge it upward. Your gut bacteria are the middlemen for a good deal of that, which is one more reason to look after them. None of it is dramatic on any single day. All of it compounds.
Eat the plants. Feed the bacteria. Keep going.
Here's to you Feeling Wildly Alive,
Katie xx
References
- Bodnaruc AM, Prud'homme D, Blanchet R, Giroux I. Nutritional modulation of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion: a review. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2016 Dec 9;13:92.
- Hodaei H, Adibian M, Nikpayam O, et al. The effect of curcumin supplementation on anthropometric indices, insulin resistance and oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2019;11:41.
- Hu EH, Tsai ML, Lin Y, Chou TS, Chen TH. A Review and Meta-Analysis of the Safety and Efficacy of Using Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Feb 21;60(3):357.
- Kato M, Nishikawa S, Ikehata A, Dochi K, Tani T, Takahashi T, Imaizumi A, Tsuda T. Curcumin improves glucose tolerance via stimulation of glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2017 Mar;61(3).
- MacDonald PE, El-Kholy W, Riedel MJ, Salapatek AM, Light PE, Wheeler MB. The multiple actions of GLP-1 on the process of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Diabetes. 2002 Dec;51 Suppl 3:S434-42.
- Monney M, Jornayvaz FR, Gariani K. GLP-1 receptor agonists effect on cognitive function in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab. 2023 Sep;49(5):101470.
- Tolhurst G, Heffron H, Lam YS, Parker HE, Habib AM, Diakogiannaki E, Cameron J, Kohlscheen J, Nunn T, Reimann F, Gribble FM. Short-chain fatty acids stimulate glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion via the G-protein-coupled receptor FFAR2. Diabetes. 2012 Feb;61(2):364-71.
The information provided is for general educational and wellbeing purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Always seek professional guidance regarding any health concerns, medical conditions, medications, supplements, diet or exercise changes. Individual needs vary, and you should make health decisions appropriate to your personal circumstances.
