Research
Hormonal
Gut-derived satiety peptides, specifically GLP-1 and PYY(3-36), reduce food intake and promote weight loss through vagal afferent signaling and hindbrain/hypothalamic receptors.
Your gut naturally releases hormones like GLP-1 and PYY after eating to tell your brain you are full. Medical treatments can mimic these hormones to help reduce appetite and aid weight loss, particularly in obesity.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
GLP-1 and OXM also reduce food intake... GLP-1(7–36) amide inhibits gastric acid secretion and emptying... Circulating GLP-1 is rapidly inactivated... Long-acting DPP-IV–resistant GLP-1 agonists reduce food intake and induce weight loss when given peripherally to rats... intravenous infusion of physiological levels of PYY(3–36) does reduce caloric intake in normal weight (42) and obese subjects (43).
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple human studies and animal models showing consistent effects, though it notes some inconsistency in human GLP-1 weight loss magnitude.
Source
The Gut and Energy Balance: Visceral Allies in the Obesity Wars
Michael K. Badman et al. · Science · 2005
DOI 10.1126/science.1109951
narrative_reviewCited 528×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Leptin resistance, caused by defects in blood-brain barrier transport or intracellular signaling (e.g., SOCS3), is the primary driver of common obesity, whereas absolute leptin deficiency is rare.Strong
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery improves glucose homeostasis and reduces appetite largely through altered gut hormonal milieus (increased GLP-1/PYY, decreased ghrelin) rather than solely through caloric restriction or malabsorption.Good
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