How to Naturally Boost GLP-1 for Weightless, Better Satiety, and Blood Sugar Control

What Is GLP-1 and Why It Matters

If you’ve heard of Ozempic or Mounjaro, you’ve heard of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1)—the hormone behind their success. It’s something your body already produces, but what if you could boost it naturally?

Dr. Ben Bikman, a leading researcher in metabolic health, recently shared several science-backed ways to increase GLP-1 without drugs. GLP-1 helps lower blood sugar, reduce cravings, and promote satiety by signaling through the vagus nerve from the gut to the brain.(R) It even reduces inflammation—something every metabolic system benefits from.

However, in obesity, GLP-1 responses are often blunted. But the good news is nature already provides powerful ways to activate GLP-1.

Here’s what it does:

Suppresses glucagon, which slows the release of glucose into the blood stream thereby reducing blood sugar.
Delays gastric emptying, keeping you full longer.
Activates the hypothalamus to promote satiety.
Reduces inflammation, improving metabolic function overall.

In short — GLP-1 helps your body stay in balance.

⚖️ The GLP-1 Imbalance in Obesity

Research shows that people with obesity often have blunted GLP-1 responses, especially after eating carbohydrates. That means you may feel less full and crave more, perpetuating the cycle of overeating.

In a classic study by Ranganath and colleagues (Gut, 1996), researchers compared six lean and six obese women and measured their GLP-1 responses to both carbohydrate and fat meals.

Both groups released GLP-1 after eating carbohydrates, but the obese group’s response was significantly blunted—roughly three to four times lower overall.
After eating fat, both groups showed similar GLP-1 responses.

This finding suggests that in obesity, the gut’s ability to release GLP-1 after carbohydrate intake is impaired. That diminished signaling to the brain may make it harder to feel satisfied after eating—driving cravings and overeating even when caloric intake is sufficient. (R)

Why Natural Support Is Safer Than Drugs

Pharmaceutical GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic® and Mounjaro® can mimic the effects of GLP-1 but carry risks:

Loss of lean muscle: Up to 40% of weight lost is from fat-free mass. (R)
Mental-health concerns: Risk of depression increases by 200%, anxiety by 100%.*
Cravings return: Sweet cravings drop initially but often return after ~2 years.
Rebound weight gain: Once the drug is discontinued, weight commonly returns.

Nature offers ways to restore GLP-1 function — without side effects or dependency.

The Body Already Knows How

Anything we create a drug to do, our body already knows how to do.
GLP-1 medications don’t introduce a new function — they mimic a natural pathway that has gone dormant because of modern lifestyle factors like poor sleep, mental emotional or physical stress, toxins, and nutrient imbalance.

When the body isn’t producing or responding to GLP-1 efficiently, it’s not a sign of deficiency, but a signal — your biology’s way of saying something in your life is out of alignment.

Drugs can absolutely help bridge the gap and restore function temporarily, but unless we correct the underlying causes — how we eat, sleep, think, and move — we’ll never sustain the results without ongoing medication. By supporting the body’s natural mechanisms, we’re not overriding biology — we’re re-aligning with it.

Four Evidence-Based Ways to Boost GLP-1 Naturally

1. Yerba Mate

Shown to increase GLP-1 levels by 40–50%. (R)
Contains ferulic acid and its microbial metabolite dihydro-ferulic acid, which stimulate GLP-1 release even more (up to 3–4×). (R)
Rich in bitter compounds that activate gut taste receptors — helping reduce sweet cravings and enhance satiety.

Thus Yerba Mate is a one-two punch for appetite control and metabolic balance.

2. Allulose — the Rare “Smart” Sugar

Blocks post-meal glucose spikes by up to 50%.
Increases GLP-1 secretion without raising insulin or blood sugar.
May regulate glucagon and improve glucose control, even in type 1 diabetes.

Suggested amounts:

Clinics using 20–40 g/day, spread among meals, report reduced cravings and have also found this dose facilitates transitioning off GLP-1 drugs. (R)

A 2018 study looked at GI tolerance of allulose in healthy young adults. Based on the results, researchers suggest a maximum single dose of allulose of 0.4 g per kilogram (kg) of body weight to avoid GI symptoms. They suggest a maximum daily intake of 0.9 g per kg of body weight.

For someone who weighs 150 pounds (68 kg), this translates to 27 g in a single dose or 61 g as a maximum daily dose.(R)

3. Low-Carb, Protein-Rich Diet

A study by Hall et al. investigated the effects of a low-fat meal vs a low-carb meal on post-prandial, which means ‘after-a-meal’, GLP-1 levels. The low-carb meal lead to significantly higher GLP-1. The participants ate the same amount of calories. The amount of protein between the two groups was the same, only the amount of fat and carbs varied. Protein also stimulates GLP-1 — and according to Bikman, especially collagen peptides.

Bikman’s motto is Control carbs, prioritize protein, and don’t fear healthy fats.

4. Optimize Sleep & Circadian Rhythm

Although direct human studies on GLP-1 and sleep are limited, research shows that poor sleep quality and late bedtimes significantly worsen post-meal glucose control. (R) This suggests sleep may indirectly influence the same pathways—like GLP-1 and insulin—that regulate metabolic balance.

Key Takeaways

GLP-1 is a bridge between gut, brain, and metabolism.
You can support it naturally through herbal compounds, real food, better sleep, and balanced macronutrients.
Instead of relying on pharmaceuticals, leverage your body’s innate design to self-regulate.

When you support your biology, you tap into the body’s built-in intelligence for healing and metabolic harmony.

* In a large real-world cohort study of over 162,000 matched patients, GLP-1 users had a ~195% higher risk of major depression, ~108% higher risk of anxiety, and ~106% increased risk of suicidal behavior, compared to matched nonusers.

• Spontaneous adverse event reporting systems also show cases of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among patients on GLP-1 drugs.

That said, randomized clinical trial data (e.g. pooled STEP studies) have not shown an increase in depression or suicidal behavior vs placebo.

Because of this mixed evidence, it’s wise to treat these psychiatric signals as precautionary alerts, not definitive contraindications. If someone has a history of anxiety, depression, or mood instability, close monitoring and integrative support (sleep, nutrition, therapy) is essential.

References:

Tysoe, O. Muscle mass loss during GLP1 receptor agonist therapy prevented with GDF8 and activin A blockade. Nat Rev Endocrinol 21, 458 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-025-01140-w (R)

“The Incretin Effect of Yerba Maté (Ilex paraguariensis) Is Partially Dependent on Gut-Mediated Metabolism of Ferulic Acid.” (Nutrients) — shows YM supplementation increases intestinal GLP-1 expression and plasma GLP-1, and implicates microbial metabolite dihydroferulic acid. (R)

Tani Y, Tokuda M, Nishimoto N, et al. Allulose for the attenuation of postprandial blood glucose levels in healthy humans: A meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2023;18(4):e0281150. — supports the glucose-lowering effect of allulose in humans.(R)

Masuda Y, Ohbayashi K, Iba K, Kitano R, Kimura T, Yamada T, Hira T, Yada T, Iwasaki Y. Abilities of Rare Sugar Members to Release Glucagon-like Peptide-1 and Suppress Food Intake in Mice. Nutrients. 2025;17(7):1221. — shows D-allulose, tagatose, sorbose increase GLP-1 and suppress food intake, with GLP-1 receptor antagonism attenuating effect.(R)

Iwasaki, Y., Sendo, M., Dezaki, K. et al. GLP-1 release and vagal afferent activation mediate the beneficial metabolic and chronotherapeutic effects of D-allulose. Nat Commun 9, 113 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02488-y (R)

Ranganath LR, Beety JM, Morgan LM, Wright JW, Howland R, Marks V.
Attenuated GLP-1 secretion in obesity: cause or consequence? Gut. 1996;38(6):916–919.(R)

Tsereteli, N., et al., Impact of insufficient sleep on dysregulated blood glucose control under standardised meal conditions. Diabetologia, 2022. 65(2): p. 356-365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-021-05608-y (R)