Natural GLP-1 supplements: What you should know before buying into the trend

As weight loss medications like Wegovy and Ozempic become more popular and easier to access, GLP-1s and their relationship to blood sugar, digestion, and weight have become a hot topic of conversation.

Understanding what's happening in our bodies as we digest food and how the medications work is one thing, but introducing the concept of natural GLP-1 supplements and boosters, and you might feel like your head's reeling.

So here, let's break it down to the basics: what is GLP-1, how does it work, where can you get it naturally, and do those ingredients and supplements support healthy weight management?

What is GLP-1 and how does it work?

Glucagon-like peptide, also known as GLP-1, is a gut hormone your body produces after you eat, which helps control appetite, digestion and blood sugar, making it an important hormone to understand when it comes to weight loss and healthy weight management. It does this primarily in four ways:

• It stimulates your pancreas to release insulin, which lowers your blood sugar levels
• It also blocks the secretion of glucagon, which is a hormone that raises your blood sugar levels
• It slows the process by which your stomach empties in a way that controls your blood sugar and can keep you feeling fuller for longer, and
• It's been found to help with appetite regulation, making you naturally eat less [1]

GLP-1 production can be stimulated medically, which is what semaglutide medications like Wegovy do. It can also sometimes be stimulated by natural ingredients, whether through food or drinks, or, as supplement companies claim, through a natural GLP-1 supplement.

Let's first look at these weight loss supplements.

What is a natural GLP-1 supplement?

While weight loss medications like Wegovy create a chemical response that mimics the GLP-1 hormone that's naturally released, recently, GLP-1 supplements have been flooding health stores and pharmacies.

These supplements, like any dietary supplements, aren't medications and don't require a prescription. Rather, they contain nutrients, minerals, and plant extracts which supplement companies claim are able to either support these weight loss medications, or even replace them by working to the same effect as the agonist drug, triggering the same blood sugar regulation and appetite control.

These supplements generally include ingredients like psyllium husk, green tea extract, saffron extract, berberine, taurine and chromium [2], and are spoken about as a non-medical way to uplift your metabolic health.

We'll come back to what these supplements claim shortly, but first, let's look at the other type of natural GLP-1 supporters.

Natural GLP-1 supporting foods and nutrients

It's long been known that certain foods can help to stimulate the production of this hormone, supporting healthy weight management and blood sugar control overall. So, before we dive a little deeper into green tea leaf extract and berberine supplementation, let's look at some of the foods that you can work into your healthy diet to give your gut health that extra boost and help you maintain your desired body weight.

Protein

It’s no secret that protein is a vital part of a healthy diet. Made out of amino acids, protein helps your body to build and repair muscles and bones, as well as make hormones and enzymes, including GLP-1  [3]. By helping your body to produce GLP-1, protein helps to reduce appetite by making you feel full and satisfied. Healthy sources of protein include:

• Lean meats, poultry and seafood
• Eggs
• Beans, peas and lentils
• Nuts, seeds and soy products such as tofu.

Fibre

An apple keeps more than just the doctor away, it can help keep the extra pounds off, too! Dietary fibres support your glucose metabolism by slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates and fats, and triggering the production of GLP-1 [1]. In other words, fibre is vital not just to digestive and heart health, but to weight management too. Healthy sources of fibre include:

• Whole grains such as brown rice, oats and quinoa
• Fresh vegetables such as carrots, peas and broccoli
• Fresh fruit such as apples, pears and berries
• Legumes and seeds

Healthy fats

Monounsaturated fats and omega-3s have both been found to increase your GLP-1 release and slow down your stomach’s emptying, which helps curb cravings and support blood sugar control [1]. Some sources of healthy fats include:

• Fish such as salmon, tuna and trout
• Olive oil
• Avocados
• Nuts and nut butter

Fermented foods and probiotics

While fermented foods have been popular throughout history, they seem to have risen again in popularity, with many swearing by the health benefits of kombucha, kimchi and kefir alike. The news is that they really are good for you, supporting gut health and digestion by balancing the natural bacteria inside all of us [4]. Recent evidence has suggested that this can further support how GLP-1 is made and used in your body too [1]. Healthy fermented and probiotic food (on top of the ones we listed above) includes:

• Yoghurt
• Sauerkraut
• Tempeh
• Miso

Dark chocolate

While any healthy weight loss plan will tell you to avoid milk chocolate, white chocolate, and other sweet treats, the health benefits of dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao solids are increasingly well-documented. It’s been found to safeguard against cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancers and brain-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but it’s also been proven to support weight maintenance as it improves insulin sensitivity by reducing insulin resistance [5]. Still, this is a high-calorie treat, so eating in moderation is key.

Can natural GLP-1s help with weight loss?

Natural GLP-1 is a hormone in your body that supports you to lose weight to a degree, but its primary function is in blood sugar control and helping your body to recognise when it's full.

In this sense, it can help to prevent some weight gain and fat accumulation by encouraging you to eat less, but on its own, it's more concerned with your high or low blood sugar than anything else.

Still, you can support your natural GLP-1 levels with a balanced diet, but whether or not these supplements do what they claim is another question entirely.

Capitalising on the GLP-1 craze

As semaglutide and tirzepatide medications have become better known as GLP-1 agonists and receptor drugs, the supplement industry is seeking to capitalise on the attention of this previously little-known, but vital hormone.

While some of these natural supplements may offer your body some degree of support, it’s important to remember that there are plenty of actually natural ingredients you can incorporate into your diet to support your weight loss journey in a way that’s healthy and sustainable.

Are natural GLP-1s safe and effective?

This is still a new area of research, and while there have been some clinical trials that have suggested natural, herbal-based supplements can influence GLP-1 release [6], it doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on weight loss.

In fact, some of these sorts of weight loss supplements have also been found to have significant side effects that outweigh any potential benefit, ranging from diarrhoea to hepatitis and liver injury [7].

As a result, talking to your doctor or healthcare practitioner before taking this or any other supplement is vital to ensuring you make informed choices about what course of treatment might be best for you.

Natural GLP-1s vs Semaglutide

The natural GLP-1s that your body produces are vital to the functioning of your digestive system and controlling your blood sugar levels, but as a natural hormone, its primary job isn’t to help you lose weight.

Semaglutides are an obesity medicine prescribed by people working in clinical nutrition designed for weight loss and healthy weight management, and the gradually increasing dose means it operates at a higher potency than the natural hormone can, even with the support of a balanced diet.

This makes semaglutide more efficient and effective in suppressing food noise, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, and helping keep your blood sugar levels in control [1].   

The future of GLP-1-inspired supplements

More studies and clinical trials will likely be conducted on natural GLP-1 supplements in the future, and when the science shows more comprehensive answers as to their effectiveness, Juniper will be here to break it all down for you and provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your weight loss and weight maintenance needs.

Until then, Juniper offers medically backed and scientifically proven treatment to help you reach your goal weight in a way that's sustainable long into the future.

With the Juniper Programme, you can access weight loss medication tailored to your health and goals — never one-size-fits-all. Our app helps you track progress, connect with your care team, adjust medication as needed, and access expert support. You'll also get structured tools to build lasting habits and ongoing care.

Kickstart your weight loss journey with Wegovy, a groundbreaking weight loss injection that mimics the GLP-1 hormone to help control cravings, delay stomach emptying, and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

We help you make lifestyle and habit changes, and we’re in it with you for the long run, having helped thousands of women achieve their weight loss goals.

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