Advertisement
The Ultimate Gut-Health Grocery List To Boost GLP-1 Naturally
While weight loss shots dominate headlines, what if your kitchen already contains the ingredients needed to activate your body's own GLP-1 production?
According to microbiologist and biochemist Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph.D., founder of Pendulum Therapeutics, the secret to metabolic health might be hiding in your grocery cart.
On the mindbodygreen podcast, Cutcliffe shared how specific foods (and the gut microbes they feed) can help your body produce its own GLP-1, the hormone that plays a critical role in appetite regulation, energy levels, and glucose metabolism.
The microbiome-GLP-1 connection you need to know
Before GLP-1 was trending, Cutcliffe was deep in the science. Her journey began in the NICU, where her daughter, born eight weeks prematurely, received multiple rounds of antibiotics. That experience sparked her passion to better understand how the gut microbiome influences long-term health.
“GLP-1 is a natural hormone your body produces after you eat,” she explains. “It signals to your brain that you're full and helps your body metabolize sugar.” While synthetic GLP-1 drugs mimic this process, your body is already designed to do this, if your microbiome is in good shape.
What most people don’t realize, she says, is that “it’s your microbiome that stimulates GLP-1. You might not be making the right amount of GLP-1 hormone because you're missing these microbes.”
Two key bacterial strains are particularly important for GLP-1 production: Akkermansia muciniphila and Clostridium butyricum. These microbes support your body’s ability to release GLP-1, which in turn helps regulate hunger signals, maintain stable blood sugar, and improve metabolic efficiency.
Why Akkermansia is the microbial MVP
Akkermansia stands out as a keystone strain in the gut. Not only does it support GLP-1 production, it also strengthens the gut lining—something that’s critical for reducing inflammation and maintaining immune and metabolic health.
“If you think about your gut lining like a wooden fence with planks held together by glue,” Cutcliffe explains, “Akkermansia is constantly stripping away old glue and putting up new glue to keep your fence strong.”
Without enough Akkermansia, that “fence” can start to break down, letting harmful molecules into the bloodstream and increasing your risk for everything from food sensitivities to metabolic dysfunction.
Feed your microbiome: The ultimate GLP-1 grocery list
Ready to stock your kitchen with GLP-1-boosting foods? Here's what science suggests works best:
1. Focus on fiber-rich foods
"Foods that are high in fiber increase the amount of Akkermansia in your microbiome," says Cutcliffe. Your produce section should become your best friend:
- Leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach)
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts)
- Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
- Asparagus
2. Prioritize polyphenol powerhouses
Polyphenols are plant compounds that nourish beneficial gut bacteria. Some top choices include:
- Berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- Pomegranates
- Green tea
- Cranberries
3. Include quality proteins
Protein doesn’t just build muscle; it can also support your microbiome. “Akkermansia actually thrives off of mucin, which is a meat byproduct,” Cutcliffe notes. Including a variety of clean, whole-food proteins may help support microbial diversity and function.
4. Embrace dietary diversity
If there’s one rule to remember, it’s this: mix it up. “The most important thing is don’t eat the same thing every day,” Cutcliffe emphasizes. A diverse diet, rich in different fibers, polyphenols, and proteins, is essential for building a resilient microbiome that can adapt, thrive, and support your metabolic health over time.
The takeaway
This emerging field of microbiome science offers a refreshing, empowering shift: rather than relying solely on external medications to manage blood sugar, energy, and cravings, we can support our bodies from within, starting with what we eat.
By building meals around gut-nourishing foods and embracing diversity on your plate, you're not just feeding yourself—you’re actively supporting the microbes that help regulate GLP-1 production.
The result? A more balanced metabolism, greater energy, fewer cravings, and long-term resilience that no quick fix can match.