A fiber ingredient designed to boost the body’s own GLP-1 release just cleared a major regulatory hurdle, which means it could show up in everyday foods soon.
Developed by researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow, inulin-propionate ester (IPE) has secured novel food approval, clearing the way for food companies to add it to food products or sell it as a standalone supplement.
The timing isn’t a coincidence. GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have transformed how people manage weight, but they’ve also sparked an enormous interest in a related question: can you increase GLP-1 naturally through food rather than a drug?
IPE is the latest and one of the most clinically tested attempts to answer that. Unlike GLP-1 medications, it doesn’t mimic the hormone. Instead, it helps the body produce more of its own GLP-1 through the gut. Here’s what the research shows so far, and what’s still unknown.
Is it possible to increase GLP-1 naturally?
The body naturally releases GLP-1 after eating, particularly when foods contain protein, fats, and fiber (which supports healthy digestion and gut bacteria). Although diet won’t produce the same effects as prescription GLP-1 medications, certain eating patterns may help encourage the body’s own GLP-1 response.
“I recommend getting a variety of different plants throughout the day to not only promote fullness but also improve your gut microbiota and provide a variety of antioxidants,” says Katie Whitson, MS, RD, LD from Health Loft. She points to foods that help with GLP-1 production, such as oats, barley, nuts, seeds, fruits, lentils and other legumes, and vegetables.
As these foods ferment in the colon, gut bacteria convert their fiber into short-chain fatty acids that play a role in releasing hormones involved in appetite regulation and fullness. Whitson also recommends pairing that fiber with a protein and fat source at meals and snacks, since all three work together to promote fullness.
Timing meals well also matters as much as the contents of your plate: “I find that when you go a prolonged period of time without nutrition, you are more likely to get to a place where you are overly hungry, therefore eating more than you would like to at the subsequent eating time,” she says.
Eating consistently throughout the day, rather than letting long gaps build up hunger, can help you feel fuller and more satisfied with your meals overall.
The catch, however, according to researchers behind IPE, is that most people fall short of the recommended fiber intake to begin with. Roughly 90% to 95% of people in the United States don’t get enough fiber, which is part of why scientists have been looking for a more concentrated way to trigger this process and improve fiber intake. This is what IPE was created to resolve.
How IPE helps increase natural GLP-1 production
IPE is a dietary fiber made by combining inulin (a naturally occurring fiber found in foods like chicory root and onions) with propionate (a short-chain fatty acid naturally produced when gut bacteria ferment fiber).
This fiber ingredient supports the body’s own production of GLP-1 hormones by delivering propionate directly to the colon, where it stimulates receptors involved in releasing appetite-regulating hormones, including GLP-1.
Researchers describe this as a targeted way of improving a process that already happens naturally during fiber fermentation, without introducing anything foreign to the body.
That targeting is the real distinction from just eating more fiber, Whitson explains. “When you eat a soluble fiber source, your gut bacteria can ferment it into a few different short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate, acetate, or propionate,” she says.
“Targeted delivery reduces the variability in short-chain fatty acids that may be produced, by delivering the propionate to the colon. This delivery is more predictable than relying on soluble fiber alone to produce propionate to stimulate the release of fullness hormones like PYY and GLP-1.”
In other words, IPE is designed to reliably produce the specific short-chain fatty acid tied to fullness, rather than leaving it to chance which ones your gut bacteria happen to make. Still, Whitson adds that this doesn’t negate the benefits of eating a variety of soluble fiber sources for fullness and gut health more broadly.
What current studies say about IPE
Clinical studies have found promising results. In randomized controlled trials cited by Imperial College, around 10 grams of IPE per day helped improve feelings of fullness and appetite regulation.
In one trial involving overweight adults aged 40 to 65, blood levels of GLP-1 rose and participants ate less. After six months, none of the IPE users had gained a significant amount of weight, compared with 17% of the control group. The main reported side effect was mild increases in gas, which is rather common when eating more fiber.
Whitson notes that this research still exists somewhat in isolation: as of now, she couldn’t find any randomized controlled trials directly comparing IPE against a mixed-macronutrient meal of fiber, protein, and fat.
What does exist is separate research showing that protein and fat also stimulate the release of GLP-1 to improve fullness, which suggests IPE’s effects may be additive to, rather than a replacement for, a well-rounded diet.
Is IPE better than eating more fiber-rich foods?
While IPE may offer an innovative way to approach GLP-1 production, it does not replace a balanced diet that emphasizes more fiber-rich foods.
Even with a more efficient delivery method, the problem IPE is meant to help solve remains: most people still don’t get the ideal daily fiber intake.
To fully support gut health and long-term wellness, overall dietary quality must be improved by aiming for higher fiber intake altogether.
It’s also worth remembering that IPE is very new, commercially speaking. While the research team behind it has since launched a company to scale up production and bring the ingredient to manufacturers, this venture remains in its early days. Products containing it are not yet widely available.
What remains unknown about IPE
The current research on IPE may be encouraging, but it’s smart to keep expectations realistic.
More long-term research involving larger groups is needed to understand how well IPE works across different populations and eating patterns. Experts are also continuously exploring whether its potential benefits extend beyond appetite regulation, such as supporting metabolic health more broadly.
This is why IPE is currently positioned as a way to help curb the kind of slow, gradual weight gain that can build up over years, instead of a treatment for existing obesity. Whitson draws a clear line around who that’s most relevant for. “Those who are looking to maintain their weight or prevent additional weight gain may benefit from IPE,” she says.
“Those who are currently struggling with weight-related metabolic conditions may benefit more from discussing other methods of treatment before waiting on a food-based option like IPE to hit the market.”
In short, IPE is not intended to replace medically prescribed GLP-1 therapies for people who meet clinical criteria for those treatments. Instead, it may eventually become another nutrition-based option that helps support healthy eating habits and curb gradual weight gain before it becomes a larger health concern, for the right person, at the right stage.
Learn more ways to increase GLP-1 naturally with a Health Loft dietitian
The development of IPE is an exciting step toward food-based approaches that support the body’s own appetite-regulating hormones, backed by more clinical testing than many of the “natural Ozempic” ingredients currently being marketed. Still, the science is developing, and it’s too early to view IPE as a substitute for healthy eating habits or medical treatment when needed.
If you’re interested in how to increase GLP-1 naturally, work with a registered dietitian who specializes in weight management. At Health Loft, every nutrition plan offered by our experts is closely tailored to your personal goals, in both weight and health, as well as your day-to-day lifestyle and medical history. Connect with a Health Loft dietitian for practical support that makes lasting, sustainable weight loss possible.
This article was reviewed by Katie Whitson, MS, RD, LD. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not replace personalized nutritional advice.
