Scientists may have found a way to help the body naturally produce more of an Ozempic-like hormone, to curb sugar cravings and improve metabolic health.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a fullness hormone that helps the body regulate blood sugar, appetite and metabolism.
Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and similar drugs are GLP-1 receptor agonists, synthetic versions of that natural hormone.
Scientists in China have investigated the relationship between sugar cravings, gut health and hormones, including GLP-1. Main image, a stock image of a hungry man craving sweet food. Inset, an image of bacteria. Previous research has suggested that our food cravings originate from both the brain and the gut, but the… Previous research has suggested that our food cravings originate from both the brain and the gut, but the science behind sugar cravings is complicated and scientists are not exactly sure what role gut microbes play.
In the Chinese study, scientists analyzed the blood of 18 mice with diabetes and 60 patients with type 2 diabetes, and compared it with the blood of healthy controls, including mice and 24 people without diabetes.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease—meaning it relates to how the body turns food into energy—that affects an estimated one in 10 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ).
An individual may develop diabetes, or other metabolic disorders, if their body struggles to cope with the sugar in their diet—but many people struggle with sugar cravings.
The Chinese scientists have found that this may be linked to a certain gut bacteria that helps the body produce Ozempic-like fullness hormone GLP-1 .
They found that the diabetic mice and humans had lower levels of a protein called FFAR4, linked to reduced levels of GLP-1.Read more Sugar Scientists Reveal Diet That Fights Off Life-Threatening Infections Common Vegetable May Help Treat Diabetes Lower levels of FFAR4 and GLP-1 in the mice were associated with stronger sugar cravings and a preference for sugary foods.Mice who had lower levels of FFAR4 and GLP-1 also had lower levels of gut microbes called Bacteroides vulgatus and a B vitamin called pantothenate.The scientists tested the effects […]
Sugar Cravings: Bacteria May Help the Body Make Its Own Ozempic
