How Can I Increase My GLP 1 Naturally

Introduction

While GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy have dominated recent headlines, the human body possesses remarkable capabilities to naturally enhance its own GLP-1 production.

As obesity rates continue to climb globally and metabolic health becomes an increasingly pressing concern, understanding how to optimize our body’s natural GLP-1 production offers a compelling pathway to improved health outcomes. This hormone not only helps regulate blood sugar levels and appetite but also plays crucial roles in cardiovascular health and cognitive function. Boosting our body’s endogenous GLP-1 production offers a natural alternative or complement to pharmaceutical interventions. 

This article will present common dietary options and some of the traditional medicinal plants of East Asian medicine, showing how these can help your body increase GLP-1 levels and activate receptors as well as improve other metabolic health markers.

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Diet Modifications–Foods to Increase GLP-1

Myricetin from Fruits and Vegetables

Myricetin activates glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), increases adropin levels, and reduces hyperglycemia. This flavonoid is found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine. It is especially concentrated in berries (especially cranberries, blueberries and blackberries), leafy greens (spinach and sweet potato leaves), rutabagas and garlic.

In addition to its anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects, myricetin also has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular and hepatoprotective effects.

High Fiber Foods

Research suggests that increasing fiber-rich foods in our diet can help naturally stimulate GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptors. Foods high in soluble and fermentable fiber, such as legumes, oats, barley, berries, brussels sprouts, and leafy greens, can be gradually incorporated into daily meals to promote the production of short-chain fatty acids in the gut, which in turn stimulates GLP-1 secretion. Making simple swaps like choosing whole grain bread instead of white bread, adding beans to salads, or starting the day with a fiber-rich breakfast bowl can help reach the recommended daily fiber intake of 25-30 grams. To avoid digestive discomfort, it’s important to increase fiber intake slowly and drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Healthy Fats

Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and short-chain fatty acids also stimulate GLP-1 production and receptor activation. Foods like nuts (particularly almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts), avocados, olive oil, fatty fish, and eggs contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that can help slow gastric emptying and digestion, leading to enhanced GLP-1 secretion. The combination of protein and healthy fats found in these foods appears to be particularly effective at triggering GLP-1 release, while also providing essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and choline. Adding these foods strategically throughout the day – perhaps through adding avocado to breakfast, incorporating nuts as snacks, or including eggs and olive oil in main meals – can help optimize GLP-1 activation while providing sustained energy and promoting feelings of satiety.

Additional Food Choices to Increase GLP-1

• Korean Pine Nuts
• Black, Green, and Oolong teas
• Soybeans
• Bitter Melon
• Tumeric and Ginger
• Wine in moderation (for the resveratrol content)

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Now that we’ve got a few of the basic dietary recommendations to enhance GLP-1 activation and secretion naturally, let’s look at some of the clinical tools of East Asian herbal medicine.

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Herbal Medicine

Coptis 黃連 and Phellodendron 黃柏

Both of these are very strong heat-clearing and toxin-resolving herbs. In classical east asian medicine, they were used for heat pattern type conditions, including what we would nowadays refer to as metabolic syndrome.

Coptis is the most concentrated natural source of berberine, which positively affects GLP-1 activation and improves metabolic health. Its active compounds enhance GLP-1 secretion from intestinal L-cells while increasing GLP-1 receptor sensitivity, helping improve glucose metabolism, reduce lipid accumulation, and support weight management through activation of important metabolic pathways like AMPK-signaling.

Phellodendron bark, traditionally used in Asian medicine, contains berberine and other compounds that stimulate GLP-1 production and enhance receptor sensitivity. Research indicates it helps regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and support healthy weight management by improving overall metabolic function.

Cinnamon 肉桂

Cinnamon is one of the warming herbs. It facilitates and improves the use of both ingested nutritional calories and stored energy, accelerating fat-burning and controlling hunger. Thus in addition to increasing GLP-1 concentration, recent research shows that it also lowers insulin concentration and stabilizes ghrelin levels.

Gardenia Fruit 山梔子

Gardenia is another heat-clearing herb that resolves toxicity and corrects metabolic dysfunction. It contains active compounds like geniposide and gardenoside, which research has shown to influence GLP-1 signaling and metabolic health. It is useful for weight loss through effects on GLP-1 receptor activation, insulin sensitizing affects, and anti-inflammatory effect.

Dogwood Fruit 山茱萸

Morronoside, a glycoside from the dogwood fruit, is a GLP-1R receptor agonist.

Additionally, this herb has multiple positive effects on metabolism. It has a dual action in lowering blood glucose levels, simultaneously increasing cellular uptake of glucose and decreasing hepatic glucogenesis. It also reduces cholesterol and triglycerides.

Dogwood fruit is classified as nourishing the kidney and liver systems. It is commonly paired with rehmannia root, a powerful combination shown to increase GLP-1 levles.

Conclusion

While pharmaceutical GLP-1 agonists remain valuable tools in medical treatment, knowing how you can increase GLP-1 levels naturally, opens new pathways for proactive health management. By combining these time-tested traditional approaches with modern scientific insights, we can work with our body’s inherent wisdom to support metabolic health, maintain healthy weight, and potentially reduce our reliance on pharmaceutical interventions. This holistic approach not only addresses immediate health concerns but also promotes long-term metabolic resilience through natural, sustainable methods.

These are only a small sample of the herbal medicinals of traditional east asian medicine, to learn more about how to increase GLP-1 naturally please talk with a licensed herbalist.

You can schedule a consultation with Dr. Marc by clicking on the link below. Or visiting the clinic website at www.flowhealthclinc.com