NPR

Less snacking, more satisfaction: Some foods boost levels of an Ozempic-like hormone

Popular weight-loss drugs mimic GLP-1, a hormone the body makes naturally after eating. Turns out some foods trigger GLP-1 better than others, making us feel full and eat less.
A fiber found in barley, called beta-glucan, may improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure and increase satiation between meals, research shows.

For several months now, I've been studying how the new medications, Ozempic and Wegovy, cause dramatic weight loss.

Both medications contain a compound, semaglutide, that squelches hunger like a fly swatter smashes a mosquito. People who take the medication say they no longer have constant cravings for food, so they eat less frequently. The drug seems to quiet what some people call "food noise," the constant internal chatter telling them to eat.

While reading study after study about Wevgovy and Ozempic, I learned that the drug mimics a hormone that our bodies naturally make when we're eating food. It's called GLP-1. This made me wonder: Could we increase levels of this hormone by changing our diet?

Turns out, the answer is yes – you increase your body's production of GLP-1 with your, who studies metabolic diseases at the University of ArizonaOne of the key foods that triggers its release is a food most Americans struggle to eat enough of, even though it comes with a cornucopia of health benefits. Yup, I'm talking about fiber.

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