Medications aren’t the only way to raise glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels. Both what’s eaten and how it’s eaten show promise as strategies to increase the body’s naturally-occurring GLP-1 levels.

And emerging research suggests there may also be a role for nuts!

GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic and Wegovy, have transformed the way diabetes and weight are managed. First developed to regulate blood glucose levels, they are now widely recognised for their role in supporting appetite control and weight loss.

How do nuts influence GLP-1 levels?

While more research is needed, several studies have assessed the impact of eating nuts on the body’s natural GLP-1 blood levels.

• A randomised controlled trial in Australia (1), involving 140 overweight or obese adults, found eating 30-50g almonds influenced appetite-regulating hormones – such as glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), GLP-1, glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide (PP), compared to a carbohydrate-rich snack with the same energy (calorie) content. They also consumed 300kJ less at the next meal, although this result was not statistically significant.

• A small randomised trial, of 14 people with impaired glucose tolerance, found that adding 42.5g of almonds to a carbohydrate-containing breakfast lowered blood glucose levels and increased satiety (2). However, there was no significant difference in GLP-1 levels between those who ate almonds and those who didn’t (the control group). Researchers suggest the lack of difference may be due to the study’s small sample size (3).

• In a randomised trial (4), involving 15 women with obesity, 42.5g of whole peanuts (WP) or peanut butter (PB) were added to a carbohydrate-containing breakfast meal. ‘Desire-to-eat’ ratings were lower, while GLP-1 (and other appetite-regulating hormones) concentrations were higher after the PB intake compared with the control (no peanuts). WP led to similar effects, but the different in GLP-1 blood concentrations was not statistically significant.  

• With a larger sample size, a randomised cross-over trial (5) found higher GLP-1 blood concentrations following the addition of 85g of pistachios to a carbohydrate-containing meal in adults with metabolic syndrome. Researchers suggest it is possible that higher quantities of nuts, such as those used in this study, are necessary to induce a sufficient rise in hormone secretion (3).

• In a study of 54 Spanish adults with pre-diabetes, participants followed two diets for four months each: a pistachio-supplemented diet (PD) and a control diet (CD) (6). A two-week washout period separated study periods. Among the findings, GLP-1 levels increased under the PD, compared with the CD.

• In a randomized crossover study, seven men with type 2 diabetes completed two experimental visits, during which a control (white bread, butter, cheese) and a test (white bread, almonds) meal were eaten (7). Among the findings, the test meal resulted in higher GLP-1 serum concentrations, decreased hunger and desire to eat, and increased fullness.

• A study involving 28 overweight/obese adults reported that GLP-1 concentrations measured 60 minutes after eating were lower following a walnut-containing meal, than after an energy-matched control meal containing cream cheese (8).

The Conversation recently published an interesting article, by Mary Scourboutakos, outlining how certain nutrients and dietary strategies may mimic the effects of GLP-1 medications.

Table 1: An adapted summary from The Conservation article

In an interesting study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutriton (9), study participants were asked to chew about two handfuls (55g) of almonds a prescribed number of times. Hunger was lower and levels of GLP-1 were higher after 40 chews, compared to 25 chews.

The bottom line:

Dietary adjustments to naturally boost GLP-1 activity show potential for improving health outcomes, but evidence is still limited. More research is needed to explore the effects of specific nutrients, foods (including nuts), and dietary patterns in humans.

While the impact is likely smaller than with medications, healthy dietary strategies that impact GLP-1 levels – like eating a daily handful of nuts – offer another approach to supporting long-term weight management and blood glucose control.

Did you know? A major review of the evidence on nuts and weight found a ‘high certainty’ of no adverse effect of nuts on body weight (10). Instead, regular, long-term intake of nuts is linked with improved weight outcomes