Weight, the GLP-1 Craze, Natural Alternatives and Your Brain

Hello, I am Julie Donaldson and I am a clinical nutritionist with functional health training. I specialize in restoring balance in complex, chronic and acute health conditions. I welcome you to peruse other articles that may be of interest to you in your health investigation!

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“Julie has already helped me so much. With an almost lifelong struggle with weight, I was very pessimistic about change until I met and began to work with her. She keeps providing me with new, cutting edge information and I keep getting healthier, every time I test. The changes last, and I am so, so happy.”

— Marion, Pennsylania

Every few decades from 1900 to 2018, obesity rates of Americans increased, from 6%-12% (that increase in 60 years), 28% (the next 28 years) and 42% (current). This trend is truly epidemic. We’ll look at what’s driving the trend in this article, and also talk about the current craze for GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs such as Ozempic®, Trulicity® and Rybelsus®. There are excellent alternatives to these injections and oral medications, with no side effects and the huge benefit of addressing some underlying causation. As we well know, any time we can solve a problem with a more natural solution, we are adding to (vs. subtracting from) the body’s strength, wisdom and healing capacities. I know you will not be surprised to understand that the microbiome and the brain are playing very important roles in this scenario. Let’s dive into the holistic health aspects of obesity, human unconscious behavior and functional health management.

Obesity and height, weight

Obesity and the evolutionary mismatch

We are, unfortunately, hard-wired to source and consume large quantities of food. This hard-wiring remains in the human mind/body from very early hunter-gatherer times. During such times, humans were both very mobile, moving across large stretches of land to source food, and also programmed to consume large quantities of food when it was found. Gluttonous consumption was required to stay alive and reproduce. This was an occasional event at the time. Now, we are surrounded by food at all times, given the “good deals” that take no time or risk to source. These deals are also rich in the nutrients that humans crave more than any - fat and sugar/carbohydrate. Our access and consumption are frequent vs. occasional, and since the early 1900’s, we are sedentary. Together, these create the frightening trend towards a majority of our culture being overweight and/or obese. Genetics have not changed - they are not a very powerful factor in this equation. The truth is that a very few people will be thin in an unhealthy environment and a very few will be fat in a healthy environment - but the vast majority of us have genes that make us susceptible to a fattening environment.

An additional factor in the hard-wiring is that our industrialized and fast food has (intentionally) been created with what is called “high flavor profile”. High flavor profile includes a significant amount of the flavors that we crave, and it creates a high dopamine drive in the brain which becomes automatic and unconscious. Remember, dopamine is our “reward” neurotransmitter - it is associated with pleasure, addiction and motivation. Once we become accustomed to these profiles, we don’t even think about sourcing them, we just do it. This occurs in the basal ganglia of the brain, which controls thoughts, mood and movement unconsciously. Below is a chart of the flavors humans typically crave, again with fat & sugar being the top 2:

Human hard-wired flavor preferences

And here are the standard calories consumed by children and adults in the US, matching these preferences very closely:

These foods are clearly high in fats, carbs and sugars while being low in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. The “perfect” combination of fat and sugar creates an overstimulation of the brain and its response to the food.

In addition to this hard-wiring and frequent consumption of the wrong foods, our bodies have a “lipostat”. Similar to our bodies’ thermostats, the lipostat is working to regulate fat by gathering and responding to information. It is another element that is hard-wired. Based upon genetics, weight gain and the amount of high “reward” foods a person consumes, the lipostat creates that weight “set point” - so that if one is at one time 200 lbs but loses 70 lbs, the lipostat will drive movement back towards 200 lbs. This can be reset to some degree and we’ll cover more about how later in our solutions.

While obesity is a problem of its own, it is also connected with deeper health concerns, including cancer, asthma, arthritis, acid reflux, sleep apnea, heart disease and depression.

Let’s discuss some other complicating factors which add to obesity risks.

1. Poor/inadequate sleep: Less than 6 hours of sleep or more than 10 hours of sleep are associated with increases in brain responses (inclusive of the dopamine surge) to high reward foods. It is known that the person who sleeps too little will unconsciously consume hundreds more calories per day. In driving one towards more food, the brain is responding to a low energy state. The brain automatically creates more hunger in the presence of low energy.

2. Excess fat creates excess inflammation in the body. This inflammation extends to the hypothalamus in the brain and can sometimes even damage the hypothalamus (seen on medical scans). The hypothalamus signals leptin, a hormone that sends satiety messages. In excess fat & inflammatory conditions, leptin resistance develops, allowing hunger suppressing messages to be ignored by the brain. The lipostat (weight set point) mechanism in the body utilizes leptin for regulation - in the presence of leptin resistance, the lipostat increases along with higher set points.

3. Chronic stress creates excess activity in the amygdala of the brain. The amygdala is the fight/flight center of the brain which triggers stress hormones and excess sympathetic responses in the nervous system. In stress conditions with a balanced food program, consumption goes down. In those same conditions with high reward foods, consumption goes up.

What is GLP-1?

GLP-1 stands for Glucagon-Like-Peptide-1. Peptides are short chains of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins). They are responsible for numerous important functions in human cells, such as cell signaling and immune modulators. Indeed, studies have reported that 15-40% of all protein-protein interactions in human cells are mediated by peptides.

GLP-1 is a peptide that is naturally produced in the human gut. But, like most things that should be produced/present in the gut, an unhealthy microbiome will prevent this from happening. Short supplies of certain healthy bacteria as well as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) will result in decreased production of GLP-1.

The current craze with weight reduction and treatment of obesity involves the use of injectable or oral medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Ozempic®, Trulicity® and Rybelsus®. (An agonist is a substance that stimulates or encourages.) These medications (as well as natural GLP-1) reduce “food noise” in the body, quieting the drive to consume and especially to consume those most favorable flavors. So, why are we concerned with the use of the drugs? Here are some of those answers:

1. They cannot be removed once started without causing high hunger and obesity to return. They are drugs for life.

2. They create high levels of GLP-1 24/7. Normal production of the peptide is cyclical, produced only when eating.

3. They create nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and sometimes hypoglycemia. (The drugs raise insulin, which lowers blood glucose. This can be life-threatening if severe enough.)

4. The risks for pancreatitis and gastroparesis (immobility of the GI tract) are 9 times and 4 times higher, respectively, with the drug use.

5. Other very serious but less common side effects are thyroid cancer, vision loss, reduced libido and suicidal ideation. (Regarding the latter, there is a suspected connection to changes in the gut that impact dopamine and serotonin, but the exact mechanism is not yet known.)

6. Up to 53% of those initiating drug protocols have to stop within the first months due to persistent side effects/intolerance and/or lack of change/effectiveness

What GLP-1 is

There are healthy alternatives to stimulate GLP-1 and they are very effective

How about some good news?!…news that takes us back to the roots of the problems. Let’s break this down into 2 important components, beginning with something you may already know about, and that is butyrate.

Butyrate is a critical short chain fatty acid (SCFA) that is produced by the fermentation of fiber in the gut via microbial (bacterial) action. If we lack fiber and/or healthy bacteria, butyrate production will be limited. Butyrate is one of 3 crucial SCFAs, including also propionate and acetate, Butyrate is the primary producer of GLP-1. Low butyrate is associated with numerous physical conditions:

Low butyrate and disease

So, how do we increase butyrate? Primarily by supplying 3 bacterial strains known to be the best fermenters of fiber. These are bifidobacterium infantis, akkermansia muciniphila and clostridium butyricum. Bifido is the the primary fermenter, although all 3 strains do this. Akkermansia is a keystone of metabolic health, is present in breast milk and therefore key to the infant gut and immune system. It also minimizes gut permeability. Truly a champion, akkermansia goes on to accomplish removal and replacement of mucin in the mucosal barrier. Why is this important? Like glue that holds together a structure, hardening and weakening in time, mucin must be recycled…old, weak mucin removed and replaced with fresh mucin to keep the system pliable.

As bifidobacterium, clostridium butyricum and akkermansia stimulate fiber fermentation, butyrate is produced and in turn stimulates GLP-1.

Bacterial strains that stimulate GLP-1

What are the positive outcomes of increasing GLP-1?

They are numerous! and positive, indeed. First, there are changes in obesity. Let’s look at a study that was done between humans and mice. In this study, a fecal transplant (also referred to as microbiome transplant) was completed between a thin person and an overweight mouse and an obese person and a normal-weight mouse. Interestingly, the two human subjects who participated were twins, likely to have been born with similar microbiomes. See below that the thin person’s fecal transplant into the overweight mouse led to weight loss, and the the obese person’s fecal transplant into the normal-weight mouse led to weight gain. Then, the researchers transplanted the now overweight mouse with the microbiome of the mouse that lost weight, leading to weight loss for that overweight mouse! It’s fascinating.

Microbiome transplant and obesity

An important study from 2020 produced results showing that a 10% increase in akkermansia muciniphila reduced overall risk for obesity by an average of 26%. Akkermansia levels and BMI (Body Mass Index) were inversely correlated.

Akkermansia and reduced obesity

Next, especially with akkermansia supplementation and subsequent GLP-1 production, we have numerous changes in metabolic function, all of which aid in the prevention of deeper disease states such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Notably in this study, those with higher levels of akkermansia were also more responsive to dietary changes.

In another study, postprandial glucose spikes and A1C were reduced with the combination of all 3 strains in type 2 diabetes patients.

Akkermansia and improved metabolic health

Research on clostridium butyricum shows the impressive increases in GLP-1 also, aiding in the balancing of weight and its associated metabolic stresses:

Clostridium butyricum and GLP-1

Now, let’s compare the use of 3 beneficial bacterial strains to the use of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs:

BACTERIA STRAINS: Colonization after use, no need for constant administration; addresses root causes in microbiome imbalances; no side effects; hunger & weight remain under control post-protocol; monthly costs are approximately $70

DRUGS: Lifetime use; no root cause imbalances are addressed; multiple negative side effects are possible; hunger & weight both rebound after stopping drugs, described by some as “yo-yo dieting on crack”; monthly costs range from $275 (insurance-supported) to $935 (no insurance)

A 2nd compound now well-researched to have very positive effects on GLP-1 production is hops. Hops is a bitter herb that has been used for centuries in other countries to control appetite, blood sugar and insulin. In this study, GLP-1 along with other critical appetite-modulating hormones were increased more than double with use of hops. The postprandial hyperglycemia and insulin responses were also modulated with hops.

Summations and solutions

It’s time to cover best practices with these challenges!

First, some very basic and helpful practices:

1. Remove high reward/tempting foods from view - from the countertops, cabinets and desktops.

2. Reduce food exposures to mealtimes only.

3. Stop grab and go food practices - establish that your food sourcing and cooking require effort.

4. Understand food reward mechanisms (as discussed here) and make food practices/choices conscious - when most food behavior is unconscious, rational information can only support us when we drive it deeply into consciouness.

5. Get sufficient exercise, sleep and sun exposure (the latter for dopamine, especially morning to high noon).

6. Consider whether your Vagus nerve needs to be tonified, as satiety is connected to the Vagus nerve feed to the NTS (nucleus tractus solitarius) in the brain.

7. Practice NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) - small but regular movements such as walking breaks, soleus lifts in your seat, arm movements, etc.

8. Consume foods that are high-fiber such as sunchokes and asparagus) but don’t force excess fiber! The latter can derail your genetic microbiome.

9. AVOID pesticide-treated foods, most especially the “Dirty Dozen” identified by the EWG (Environmental Working Group) annually, based upon highest levels of toxicity. Pesticide exposure is absolutely connected with obesity…as are many other types of toxins.

EWG 2024 “Dirty Dozen”

Therapeutically, then, we will also need the following:

1. Define and practice your personalized nutrition with MT®. This is a first and very foundational step for creating the right nutrient profiles for your individual metabolic systems. This helps you (along with good sleep) to prevent low energy which leads to the creation of hunger naturally.

2. Utilize the appropriate protocols/bacterial strains to address butyrate and GLP-1 production ** see chart below for real-life responses to the 12 week protocol; in some medically challenging cases where drugs are recommended, the strains may be combined with the drug to reduce the amount required

3. Define individual stresses and de-stress via core belief work and relaxation + brain healing processes

4. Complete individualized testing for microbiome health and immune health, as defined by professional evaluation

Food craving reductions post GLP-1 protocol

Natural alternatives and healing with obesity and food choices are absolutely available and effective! Contact me at Julie@truenaturehealthconsulting.com for more information. We provide holistic telehealth services.