GLP-1 and similar hormone-activating medications can significantly reduce appetite, support weight loss and control blood sugar. They also change how the body processes food and nutrients. But these hormones are just part of the larger system that regulates how the body processes food.
“The natural hormones are highly regulated, and they work in concert together, almost like an orchestra. Food is the conductor. So the food and its various components turn on the system at the right time, in the right place, and the right amounts,” says Dr. Chris Damman, a gastroenterologist at UW Medicine.
He emphasizes that, because eating less can also mean getting fewer essential nutrients, diet quality is especially important. A diet that best supports the gut-signaling system includes fermentable fibers from plant foods; polyphenol-rich foods such as berries, herbs, spices, tea, coffee and colorful produce; whole-food protein and healthy fats; and unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish.
Damman explains how GLP-1 medications fit into the larger gut-signaling system and why food quality matters as hunger declines.
Download broadcast-quality video resources and downloadable soundbites with Damman.
