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GLP-1 is a peptide hormone produced in the gut after a meal. It stimulates insulin secretion, helps maintain blood glucose homeostasis, and promotes satiety.
Last Updated:December 18, 2023
When you eat a meal, your body needs to prepare to put the nutrients you just ingested to use. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a hormone which helps in this process.
GLP-1 is from the family of hormones called incretins, which include GLP-1 as well as another hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). These hormones are released by the gut in response to a meal, and help increase insulin secretion after eating, which helps the body regulate blood sugar levels.[1]
In addition, GLP-1 also slows gastric emptying and increases satiety, leading to decreased food intake. This property of GLP-1 has led to the use of a class of drugs that mimic GLP-1 (e.g., semaglutide, whose brand names include Wegovy and Ozempic) for weight loss.[2]
GLP-1 is made by cells in the brain as well as in the gut. Also, GLP-1’s receptor can be found in parts of the brain that are involved with eating behavior and hunger. This partially explains why drugs like semaglutide can help people lose weight.[3]
A small handful of test tube and animal studies suggest that supplements such as yerba mate tea,[4] Momordica charantia extract,[5] berberine,[6] resveratrol,[7] curcumin,[8][9] and Ginseng[10][11] could boost GLP-1 levels.
However, the few randomized controlled trials that have looked at supplements’ impact on GLP-1 have yielded negative results: Green tea extract,[12] resveratrol,[13] and green-plant membranes[14] all don’t seem to boost GLP-1 levels.
The macronutrient content of a meal affects the amount of GLP-1 that’s released. GLP-1 is released mainly in response to the carbohydrates and fats in a meal. Protein stimulates GLP-1 release to a lesser extent.[15] This should not be interpreted as a license to eat large amounts of fat and carbs in order to boost your GLP-1 levels, though! A more promising way to healthily boost your GLP-1 levels is through exercise. GLP-1 seems to rise immediately after exercise, and baseline levels of GLP-1 in people who exercise remain elevated in the medium term, too.[16] Not only that, but exercise may help decrease GLP-1 resistance in people with type 2 diabetes and may make medications like semaglutide even more effective.[17]
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Full page update
We added a number of FAQs to this page, in light of it's increasing relevance to weight-loss drugs.