How to Reduce Your Food Cravings | Dr. Casey Means & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Summary

In this discussion, Casey Means and Andrew Huberman explore the role of the body's satiety hormones in regulating hunger and cravings. They delve into the science behind nutrient-sensing cells in the gut, particularly L-cells, which produce GLP-1 when stimulated by certain foods. The conversation highlights natural ways to increase GLP-1 levels, such as consuming fiber, fermented foods, and specific amino acids, rather than relying on medications like Ozempic. They also touch on the importance of a diverse diet rich in colorful fruits, vegetables, and spices for promoting satiety and reducing cravings.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The body is designed to help us feel satiated and reduce cravings by producing satiety hormones when given the right nutrients.
• 🌡️ Nutrient sensors in the cells lining our small intestine can bind with certain food components, stimulating the production of satiety hormones.
• 💊 There's a societal focus on GLP-1 analogs like Ozempic and Munjaro, but less attention on how the body naturally produces GLP-1 through nutrient-sensing cells in the gut.
• 🔑 Three ways to increase GLP-1 levels naturally are: increasing the number of L cells that produce it, enhancing GLP-1 production by each L cell, and inhibiting the enzyme DPP IV that breaks down GLP-1.
• 🥬 Consuming short-chain fatty acids, which are byproducts of microbial fermentation of fiber, can stimulate the differentiation of more L cells in the gut.
• 🍵 Foods rich in polyphenols, found in colorful fruits, vegetables, spices, and teas, can be fermented by the gut microbiome into short-chain fatty acids.
• 🥦 Eating fiber, specifically prebiotics, and consuming fermented foods can provide the body with short-chain fatty acids and stimulate L cells.
• 🌿 Ginseng has been shown to improve cell differentiation, potentially increasing L cells in the gut.
• 🥗 Thylakoids, found in spinach, can directly stimulate L cells to secrete more GLP-1, contributing to satiety.
• 🌿 Certain foods and compounds like black beans, oregano, rosemary, guava, and myricetin can inhibit DPP IV, thus potentially increasing GLP-1 levels.

Q & A

What is the main concept Casey Means discusses regarding food and satiety?

Casey Means discusses the concept of understanding how the body tries to help us feel satiated and reduce cravings by giving it what it needs to stimulate the production of satiety hormones.

What role do nutrient-sensing cells in the small intestine play in regulating hunger?

Nutrient-sensing cells in the small intestine, specifically the L-cells, have receptors that can bind with nutrients in food, stimulating the production of satiety hormones that help regulate hunger.

What are GLP-1 analogs and why are they a topic of conversation?

GLP-1 analogs are medications that mimic the action of the hormone GLP-1, which is involved in appetite regulation. They are a topic of conversation because of their potential in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.

How can the body naturally increase GLP-1 levels?

The body can naturally increase GLP-1 levels by increasing the number of L-cells that produce it, stimulating each L-cell to produce more GLP-1, and inhibiting the enzyme DPP IV that breaks down GLP-1.

What is DPP IV and how does it relate to GLP-1?

DPP IV is an enzyme that breaks down GLP-1. Inhibiting DPP IV can lead to higher levels of GLP-1 in the body, which can help regulate appetite and blood sugar.

What are some ways to stimulate the production of L-cells in the gut?

Stimulating the production of L-cells can be achieved by consuming more fiber, fermented foods, antioxidants, and maintaining blood sugar stability.

How do short-chain fatty acids contribute to satiety?

Short-chain fatty acids, which are byproducts of microbial fermentation of fiber in the diet, stimulate the differentiation of more L-cells in the gut, leading to increased production of satiety hormones.

What is the significance of thylakoids in the context of GLP-1 secretion?

Thylakoids, found in chloroplasts of plants, have been shown to stimulate GLP-1 secretion when consumed, potentially leading to increased satiety.

What are some dietary components that can inhibit DPP IV?

Dietary components that can inhibit DPP IV include black beans, various types of oregano, rosemary, guava, and myricetin found in berries, cranberries, peppers, and Swiss chard.

How does the consumption of protein-rich foods relate to GLP-1 stimulation?

Protein-rich foods, particularly those high in the amino acids valine and glutamine, can stimulate nutrient receptor cells in the gut, leading to increased GLP-1 secretion.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Understanding Satiety Hormones and Nutrient Sensing Cells

Casey Means discusses the concept of using food to stimulate the body's satiety hormones, which help regulate hunger and reduce cravings. The conversation highlights the role of L-cells in the gut, which produce GLP-1, a hormone that signals fullness. Means emphasizes the importance of nutrient sensing cells and their ability to produce GLP-1 when stimulated by certain foods. The dialogue also touches on the societal focus on GLP-1 analogs like Ozempic and Munjaro, while less attention is given to natural ways of stimulating these cells. Means suggests that processed foods do not provide the necessary nutrients to stimulate these cells, and instead, a diet rich in fiber, fermented foods, and other nutrient-dense options can help. The conversation also delves into the idea of inhibiting DPP IV, an enzyme that breaks down GLP-1, as a way to increase its levels in the body.

05:03

🌿 Strategies to Boost GLP-1 and Inhibit DPP IV

Casey Means and Andrew Huberman explore various strategies to increase GLP-1 production and inhibit DPP IV, focusing on natural dietary approaches. Means suggests that short-chain fatty acids, produced by microbial fermentation of fiber, can stimulate the differentiation of more L-cells in the gut. They discuss the benefits of consuming fiber, polyphenols, and fermented foods to support the gut microbiome and increase GLP-1. The conversation also includes the potential benefits of ginseng for cell differentiation and the role of specific amino acids like valine and glutamine in stimulating GLP-1 production. Means mentions thylakoids, found in spinach, as a direct stimulant for L-cells and inhibitor of lipase, which can promote satiety. The discussion concludes with a list of foods and compounds, such as green tea, curcumin, and myricetin, that have been shown to inhibit DPP IV and stimulate GLP-1 secretion.

10:06

🌱 Overcoming Cravings Through Mindful Eating

In the final paragraph, the focus shifts to the practical application of the discussed science to overcome cravings and achieve satiety. The conversation emphasizes the importance of clear communication with oneself through food choices that support the body's natural hunger regulation mechanisms. Means suggests that by understanding and applying the science behind satiety hormones and nutrient sensing cells, individuals can make dietary choices that lead to a more balanced and satisfying relationship with food. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for listeners to explore the full-length episode for a deeper dive into the topic.

Keywords

💡Satiety hormones

Satiety hormones are hormones that signal fullness to the brain, helping to regulate hunger and appetite. In the video, Casey Means discusses how providing the body with the right nutrients can stimulate the production of these hormones, thereby reducing cravings and promoting a feeling of fullness. This concept is central to the video's theme of understanding how food can naturally regulate hunger.

💡GLP-1 analogs

GLP-1 analogs are a class of medications that mimic the action of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is involved in glucose regulation and appetite suppression. The video discusses the societal focus on these medications like Ozempic and Munjaro, while also emphasizing the potential for natural food sources to stimulate the body's own production of GLP-1.

💡L-cells

L-cells are a type of cell found in the lining of the small intestine that play a role in sensing nutrients and producing hormones like GLP-1. Casey Means explains that stimulating these cells appropriately can lead to the secretion of GLP-1, which can help regulate hunger. The video suggests that certain foods and dietary practices can support the function of L-cells.

💡DPP IV

DPP IV, or dipeptidyl peptidase-4, is an enzyme that breaks down GLP-1, thus reducing its effectiveness. In the video, it is mentioned as a target for inhibition to increase the levels of GLP-1 in the body. This is part of the broader discussion on how to naturally boost satiety hormones through dietary choices.

💡Short chain fatty acids

Short chain fatty acids are byproducts of the fermentation of dietary fiber by gut bacteria. They are discussed in the video as a way to stimulate the differentiation of more L-cells in the gut, which can lead to increased GLP-1 production. This highlights the importance of a fiber-rich diet for gut health and appetite regulation.

💡Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the human body cannot fully digest, and it plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy gut and promoting satiety. The video emphasizes the importance of consuming fiber to support the production of short chain fatty acids, which in turn can stimulate L-cells to produce more GLP-1.

💡Polyphenols

Polyphenols are micronutrients found in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods that have antioxidant properties. In the video, they are mentioned as another substance that can be fermented by the gut microbiome into short chain fatty acids, contributing to the regulation of hunger and satiety.

💡Thylakoids

Thylakoids are part of the chloroplasts in plants and have been shown to stimulate the secretion of GLP-1 when consumed. The video discusses research indicating that consuming thylakoids, such as those found in spinach, can lead to a significant increase in GLP-1, which can help with appetite regulation.

💡Leaky gut

Leaky gut is a term used to describe a condition where the lining of the small intestine becomes more permeable than normal, allowing substances to pass through the gut wall that shouldn't. While not the main focus of the video, the concept is briefly mentioned in relation to the potential benefits of supplementing with L-glutamine for gut health.

💡Nutrient sensing cells

Nutrient sensing cells, specifically the L-cells in the gut, are highlighted in the video as cells that can detect nutrients and stimulate the production of satiety hormones like GLP-1. The discussion around these cells emphasizes the body's ability to regulate hunger when provided with the right nutrients.

Highlights

The body tries to help us feel satiated and reduce cravings by producing satiety hormones.

Nutrient sensors in the small intestine can bind with food components to stimulate the production of satiety hormones.

GLP-1 analogs like Ozempic and Munjaro are in the spotlight, but the body's natural ability to produce GLP-1 is often overlooked.

The L-cells of the gut produce GLP-1, which can be stimulated by certain foods.

Three ways to increase GLP-1 levels naturally: increase L cell count, increase GLP-1 production per cell, and inhibit the breakdown of GLP-1.

Short chain fatty acids from fiber fermentation stimulate the differentiation of more L cells in the gut.

Eating more fiber and fermented foods can support the gut microbiome and increase L cells.

Specific amino acids like valine and glutamine stimulate GLP-1 production.

Thylakoids, found in spinach, can significantly increase GLP-1 secretion.

Inhibition of the enzyme DPP IV can raise GLP-1 levels, as DPP IV is responsible for breaking down GLP-1.

Certain foods like black beans, oregano, and rosemary can inhibit DPP IV.

Maintaining blood sugar stability may help in the differentiation of L-cells.

Ginseng has been shown to improve cell differentiation, potentially increasing L-cells.

Eating a diet rich in protein, fiber, and colorful fruits and vegetables can help regulate hunger and cravings.

The conversation around GLP-1 analogs often misses the role of nutrient sensing cells in the gut.

The healthcare industry may have a vested interest in downplaying natural methods for increasing GLP-1.

The importance of understanding the body's natural mechanisms for satiety and hunger regulation.

Transcripts

CASEY MEANS: One concept I have for food that really helps

me is really thinking about the body's

always trying to help me be satiated

and trying to help reduce my cravings.

I literally just have to give the body what it needs.

I have to stimulate the body in a way that it will serve me

and giving me satiety hormones to basically regulate my hunger.

And again, with visuals, I think it's so helpful.

I think about these cells lining our small intestine that

literally have nutrient sensors and literal receptors

on the cell membrane in the luminal side of the gut that's

facing all the food that are just sitting there like waiting

to bind with these things in our food that will stimulate

the cell to make the satiety hormone that, poof, effortlessly

makes us not hungry.

It gets rid of that grip of attachment to cravings

that all of us are so plagued by.

And I think we have this intense conversation happening

in society right now about GLP-1 analogs, and Ozempic,

and Munjaro, and all these things--

GLP-1 agonists.

But we rarely talk about the fact

that we have nutrient sensing cells

of the gut, the L-cells of the gut,

that when stimulated appropriately, will make GLP-1.

And when stimulated the way they want to be,

will secrete hordes of GLP-1 for us.

And so how do we actually think about just literally

giving the body what it needs to stimulate the satiety hormones?

And the processed foods aren't giving us those things.

The things that are going to stimulate those cells--

well, the things that will--

I mean, this is kind of fascinating,

if you don't mind going down a little road.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: No, please.

Please.

CASEY MEANS: With the GLP-1 conversation,

I feel like so missing from the conversation

is the idea that from a first principles perspective,

there's three ways our body could make more GLP-1.

We make more cells that make it, L cells of the gut.

Each of those cells makes more GLP-1.

And importantly, we can also inhibit

the inactivator of GLP-1, which is an enzyme called DPP IV.

So GLP-1 actually gets rapidly degraded by DPP IV in the body.

So if we can figure out how to inhibit DPP IV,

we can raise our GLP-1 levels.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: What is DPP IV?

CASEY MEANS: It's an enzyme that breaks down GLP-1.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: I think you said that and I missed it.

I apologize.

CASEY MEANS: It's so fascinating.

And so how often have you seen in the headlines,

oh, here's some strategies to inhibit your DPP IV.

Never.

Because Ozempic is on track to be the highest grossing med

in human history.

And just like we talked about in the beginning of the episode,

the whole industry, this $4 trillion healthcare industry,

is desperate for us to not understand

how to do the things that drugs could do for us.

So when we look at those three first principles

approaches of how do we make more cells,

get them to produce more GLP-1 from each L cell,

and then inhibit the breakdown through the inhibition of DPP

IV, for the first one, we know that short chain fatty

acids, which of course are the byproduct

of microbial fermentation of fiber in the diet,

stimulates the differentiation of more L cells in the gut.

So more short chain fatty acids, more L cells.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: Can we translate that

into support the gut microbiome?

CASEY MEANS: Eat more fiber.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: Eat more fiber?

And we had Justin Sonnenburg from Stanford

on a world expert in gut microbiome.

And he was a big proponent of, based

on work he's done with Chris Gardner and others at Stanford,

so happens, of ingesting one to three servings of low sugar

fermented foods each day, things like sauerkraut, kimchi.

Again, low sugar varieties is probably best-- kefir.

CASEY MEANS: Not kombucha, yeah.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: Yeah, maybe not-- you said not kombucha?

CASEY MEANS: Yeah, because that's

going to be like the highest sugar of the fermented foods

which people often go to.

But now--

ANDREW HUBERMAN: And often costly too.

CASEY MEANS: --that becomes soda.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: And pretty costly.

The sauerkraut, you can actually make your own sauerkraut.

Tim Ferriss had a great recipe for this in the Four-Hour Chef.

You have to be careful because you can

create some unhealthy ferment.

You have to do it the way he describes.

So check out the recipe.

It's online.

Or you can buy sauerkraut.

And the brines, drinking the brine off the sauerkraut or off

seems to be good for the gut.

CASEY MEANS: That's such a great point,

which is that ultimately, we want the short chain fatty

acids, which is the medicine that the microbiome are making

for us through the microbial fermentation process.

And we can basically do that in three ways.

One is we can eat more fiber, which is prebiotics.

We can also eat more polyphenols.

Because we're now learning that the microbiome actually

processes-- they ferment polyphenols from our-- which

is basically-- you'll find those in colorful fruits

and vegetables, spices, teas, cocoa, things like that.

So fermentation of polyphenols and fiber

to short chain fatty acids, which then we absorb.

And then, like you just said, in a fermented food, the bacteria

in that food will be making short chain fatty

acids by fermenting the food in there.

And then if we drink that, we're getting the short chain

fatty acids directly.

So that's the kimchi, sauerkraut, Greek yogurt,

kvass--

which I'm obsessed with, which is like low sugar kombucha.

It's made with fermenting beets, basically.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: That's good stuff.

CASEY MEANS: It's such good stuff.

Miso, natto.

So that's one that has been shown to differentiate

more L-cells in the gut.

We also know that people with type II diabetes

have much fewer L-cells in the gut.

And it's hard to know what the causality is there.

But I think a safe assumption is like if we keep our blood

sugar under better control and stay out of that diabetic range,

it probably lends itself--

I don't know what the chicken and the egg

is there, but blood sugar stability, more cell

differentiation.

And then actually, ginseng has been

shown to improve cell differentiation.

So that's just one set of things.

And I don't think the dose on ginseng has been has been,

settled but very high antioxidant component plant.

When we look at actually stimulating more GLP-1--

you've talked about yerba-mate, I

think, having like a mild effect on GLP-1.

But there's actually a lot of other things in the literature.

Protein, of course, very potently

stimulates these nutrient receptor cells.

And specifically valine and glutamine

seem to have a potent stimulatory effect on GLP-1.

So you're going to find that in meat and turkey

and eggs and things like that.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: What are your thoughts

on supplementing l-glutamine?

It's controversial.

I know that some people will do it in an effort

to relieve leaky gut.

But there aren't any randomized controlled trials for that.

So depending on one's stance on what's required for a threshold

for adopting something, some people will say that's crazy.

Other people really swear by supplementing l-glutamine.

Maybe it's through this route of increasing L-cells

that some of the gut relief might exist.

I guess we'd have to explore it.

So that's speculative, folks.

So this is interesting.

These are ways to increase the cells that then make GLP-1.

So fiber, prebiotic, probiotic fiber and fermented.

CASEY MEANS: Antioxidants, lowering blood sugar, ginseng.

So those are the L-cells ones.

The actual secretion of more GLP-1,

one of the most potent ones-- and the study that

looks at this, like the bar graphs are very clearly

statistically significant, lots of asterisks--

is actually thylakoids.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: Thylakoids.

Tell me more about thylakoids.

CASEY MEANS: Thylakoids are so fascinating.

Thylakoids are actually a structure

in plants that are part of the chloroplasts.

So chloroplasts-- and this also is fascinating

because chloroplasts are basically the plant version

of mitochondria, essentially.

And thylakoids are a molecule in the chloroplast.

And there has actually been research that shows that when

you eat about 100g of spinach, which gives you five grams

of straight thylakoid, over 12 weeks daily,

it led to a significant increase in GLP-1.

And again, I don't remember the exact-- it was two

or three-fold higher secretion.

So this is in part--

so that's a direct stimulatory effect of the L-cells.

And so this equates to 3.5oz of spinach a day,

which is like nothing.

So just getting the--

ANDREW HUBERMAN: Blanched spinach or cooked spinach?

CASEY MEANS: I think I actually--

I don't think it actually-- it might have said in the methods.

But I would I would imagine raw because you

want to get those undenatured thylakoids in the gut.

So just another-- and actually, thylakoids

do a lot of other interesting stuff.

They inhibit lipase in the gut.

And so actually, it help more fat

get down to the distal small bowel and promote satiety.

So this is one of the reasons why

you talk about the people who eat

all these healthy foods and greens, they're less hungry.

It's biochemistry.

There's stuff happening in there that

is making the hunger signals go down

through things like inhibiting lipase,

improving GLP-1 secretion.

So other things for GLP-1 secretion, the thylakoids.

Also, fiber has been shown.

Specific amino acids, so high protein foods,

things that involve a lot of valine and glutamine, green tea.

And specifically, the ECGC.

That is one of the compounds in green tea

that's been shown to stimulate GLP one.

Curcumin.

So there are several things that are all in that--

whole food, basically, things you would

associate with a healthy diet but we actually

know they stimulate GLP-1.

So those are all things I try to include in my diet.

And the last one is inhibition of DPP IV.

And that one, there's just actually,

when you look at the research, there's

some kind of random foods that tend to inhibit DPP IV--

black beans, Mexican oregano, other forms of oregano,

rosemary, guava and--

I wrote this one down because it's

a word I hadn't seen very much before I started digging

into this.

But myricetin, which is found in berries, cranberries and peppers

and Swiss chard.

So all that is to say, ultimately, many of us

are gripped by cravings.

And the idea of have just sort of not being constantly

driven to eat more, which I would argue that about 80%

of Americans are, feels really hard to overcome.

But a lot of it is literally just

communicating to yourselves in a clear way, through food,

to help you be satiated.

And the science can show us how to do this.

And a lot of it comes down to eating, essentially,

what you were talking about how you eat-- omnivorous,

protein, healthy sources with nutrient density,

and lots of colorful fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs,

things like that.

ANDREW HUBERMAN: Thank you for tuning in to the Huberman Lab

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