The Biological Cost of Ozempic and Other GLP-1s

GLP-1 drugs are becoming more and more popular because they help people with one big challenge, stubborn weight. But most people starting on GLP1s only know that their hunger goes down. They don't understand the mechanism or the biological cost. The question is not whether GLP1s work. The question is what is the cost to the body when you override survival biology and what if that cost cannot be reversed. Hello health champions. Today we're going to talk about Ozempic and GLP1 drugs and what really happens in the body when you take them. GLP-1 stands for glucagon like peptide one. And the first and sometimes the only question people ask is does it work? And there's little question about that because it turns off your appetite so you eat less and it definitely works both with weight loss and it works to reduce insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. But the first thing to understand about this is that hormones are released to be broken down. They should only act during a limited time. And this holds especially true for something like GLP1. Its effect should be temporary. But when we take it long term, the body starts going through some adaptations. And some of these are not so great. For one thing, your digestion stagnates. It slows down. your signals and hormones get distorted. You will typically see a reduction in muscle mass and your BMR, your basil metabolic rate declines. And basically what this means is that GLP1s taken long-term override survival biology. So to really understand what we're doing to the system, we need to understand glucagon and glp1 which was again glucagon like but in what ways are they alike and how do they differ? So first of all glucagon is a hormone. It's produced in the pancreas alpha cells. So there is also a type of cell called beta cells in the pancreas that makes insulin. So both of these are part of a balancing system just like GLP1 is. And the main role of glycogen is to stimulate the liver to tell it to mobilize to break down glycogen. And we store things as glycogen to have a reserve of blood sugar basically. So between meals, glucagon is the hormone that tells the liver to start dripping glucose, blood sugar into the bloodstream so that we can maintain stable levels between meals. And in addition to that, glucagon also stimulates gluconeogenesis, which means that we make glucose from other sources like amino acids and from glycerin and stored fat like triglycerides. Glucan also helps release fatty acids to make energy from. It helps support your metabolic rate so that we can keep making energy. It helps maintain blood glucose between meals, like we said. And whenever we need fuel when we're not eating, it basically helps release stored energy. GLP1 on the other hand does not come from the pancreas. It comes from something called L cells in the intestines. So we have these little sensors in the intestines and when food comes along, they respond to that. And this GLP-1 is released after eating. So the main purpose of GLP1 is basically to slow down digestion to slow gastric emptying. And by doing that the glucose is absorbed slower and it spreads out the glucose uptake over a longer period of time. And by doing that it reduces the glucose spikes. It sort of evens out the uptake a little bit and in doing that we don't need as much insulin because insulin is basically proportional to the size of the spikes and the main effect is on the stomach on gastric emptying but there's several other places on the way down that GLP1 also slows down the movement and in doing that we increase nutrient extraction and absorption. because we have more

time to act to work on the food. So that's how we want to think about it. That's the natural purpose and it's critical that we understand this because if it responds only to food then it means that it's a timing hormone. It's temporary. It's really important that it's only released during the time that we're processing food. So, let's talk about the similarities because even though it's called glucagon like peptide, it really has very little in common with glucagon. But they are both made up of peptides. They're peptide hormones. They're basically amino acids linked up in a chain. And originally, before they even knew what it did, when they found it and they named it, they basically just looked at the structure and they named it because they had structural similarities. They looked very similar in their amino acid sequence and in the precursors from where they came. And they're also part of the same system that regulates blood glucose. They are very fast acting and they're brain connected. They signal to the brain what's going on. And when they're produced naturally, then they are context dependent signals. And that's really important to understand. They're only supposed to be there in certain context under certain circumstances. Like with GLP, it's only supposed to be there when there is food present. And that's the opposite of what happens when we take it as a drug. So when we look at their differences, we realize that they're really functional opposites. They either do exactly the opposite thing or they have no effect. So first of all, when we look at the energy state, then glucagon is acting when energy is low. So it acts to mobilize energy. GLP1 is supposed to be there only during the fed state, only with food present. When we look at hunger, then glucagon doesn't really have an effect at all. It doesn't shut it off. It doesn't stimulate it, but it's neutral. It allows it. However, GLP1, because it's only supposed to be there when there is food present, when we have just been fed, it suppresses the hunger. And this is of course why they give people the GLP1 drug to suppress hunger. And then when we look at the main purpose of the GLP-1 which is stomach and gut the timing of food processing the glucagon again is neutral and GLP1 slows it significantly. And again that is okay if we balance it. If we respect that delicate timing when there is food present but when we take it when food is not there and we suppress hunger now it slows the gut and the stomach way too much. And when we look at the flow of fuel then glucagon is about releasing fuel mobilizing fuel and GLP-1 is the opposite. It's about storage, which makes a whole lot of sense right after we have eaten. But it sends a completely wrong message when there is no fuel there, when there's no food to process because we didn't eat and it still says go ahead and store. When it comes to metabolic tone, then glucagon is about mobilization like we said and GLP-1 is about conservation. When we look at insulin, when we don't have food and glucagon is active, then it reduces insulin because we want that fuel to get out, not to get stored. However, GLP-1 increases insulin. So, it still helps reduce insulin resistance because there's no food there, but it still sends a completely wrong message when it says to increase a storage hormone to store food and energy even though there is no energy available. So, there's a normal balance there that we have to understand and respect. So, GLP-1 normally rises after a meal. GLP-1 goes down between meals. Glucagon increases during fasting or between meals. And insulin decreases when we're not eating. And all of this is part of a natural rhythm that we can call metabolic flexibility. The body knows how to adapt to different circumstances. But when we introduce GLP1 externally, then we're turning all

of this upside down. But if you don't understand that, then you might fall in the same trap as a lot of people who are taking it and think they're being successful because they're losing weight and they say things like, "Well, this drug is great. I love it because I don't even have to change what I'm eating. " But yes, you do absolutely have to change what you're eating because that's the whole problem that it's because you ate the wrong things. Because you ate things that weren't food, with a lot of sugar that acted like drugs, you already set your normal regulation out of balance. And if you keep treating symptoms, if you keep overriding the body even more and you don't change, you're not actually fixing anything. You're just making it even worse. So, what are some of the things that can happen when you force GLP1? Well, first of all, GLP-1 drugs are agonists. That means that they try to mimic what the natural GLP-1 is doing, but instead of doing it very temporarily in a context, they are trying to make it active all the time. So when GLP1 is there all the time, what you're creating is chronic satiety, meaning no hunger, and then there will be reduced intake. You eat less, which is of course what they're looking for. However, with that reduced intake, even though you don't have hunger, per se, because they've shut that signal down, your body is still perceiving scarcity. And when we override the regulation system like that, there will be muscle breakdown and there will be a slowing of the basal metabolic rate. And basically what's happening is we're signaling the GLP-1 always present signals continuously fed state. It says there's always food here even when there isn't. And because GLP-1 suppresses glucagon even when it's needed, then we're not providing the body the resources that it needs. And there's several different categories of biological cost. One for example is muscle loss and this muscle loss is huge and under discussed. It's nothing like fasting for example or skipping a few meal where we leave the body's response and regulation intact. We're also reducing the body's use of glucose the metabolic rate and our longevity. We're reducing basal metabolic rate. where we're reducing insulin sensitivity and we're reducing strength and resilience. So cost number two is metabolic rebound. And here's what's happening. When we have a severe or significant calorie restriction, reduction in calories because we eat less because we're not hungry, then we need to repair. We need to recover from that. But without this metabolic repair, it can cause various different things. And when we talk about this metabolic repair, more specifically, we're talking about the body's ability to restore to repair so that we can sense and distribute and store and release energy. Again, this whole system of balance that can figure things out and respond accurately. If we're on a GLP1 for any length of time, then the body oftentimes does not repair this metabolic machinery and as a result, we get a thyroid down regulation. We get a lowered basal metabolic rate and we increase our fat storage tendency later. Any time that we go off the GLP1, then we increase the fat storage. to rebounds. So, basically, all of this is what's happening with yo-yo dieting where people lose some weight and then they gain it back plus more. Except this is like yo-yo dieting on steroids. Cost number three has to do with gut motility and digestion. So, like we said, the main purpose of GLP-1 in the body naturally is to regulate the timing. It's to slow down the different stages of digestion. But when it's there chronically now, obviously it's going to do too much of that and then it may cause things like bloating and gird or reflux and also of course constipation. They're finding more and more how important the biome

the microbiome is and how critical is to our overall health. and a GLP-1 in slowing everything down can also alter the microbiome signaling. But perhaps the biggest thing that people have heard of is something called gastroparesis which is basically a paralysis and it could be due to taking a lot of it or for a long time or it could just be just individual differences or a genetic predisposition. But there are some people who get on a GLP-1 and their gut basically gets paralyzed. Their stomach gets paralyzed. And it's not that the tissue is dead. It's just that you've blunted the signals so much that they're not getting any stimulation. And for some people, that function never comes back. So that paralysis may become permanent. Cost number four is nutritional deficiencies. And this may be one of the biggest ones because it's so hard to pinpoint. quantify. And the effects are probably the greatest long term. So what happens when you have less appetite and you eat less food? Then you're also getting less protein, less building blocks. And then with less intake and a lesser functioning digestion, we're going to see less amino acids. a reduction in absorbed and utilized B vitamins and electrolytes and trace minerals. So, some of the things that you could see early or intermediate would be hair loss and fatigue and weakness. But again, we have no idea what this does decades down the road because everything depends on these building blocks and on these catalysts to drive the mechanisms of building and metabolism and so forth. And cost number five is how it affects the entire signaling system, the hormonal system and the neurological feedback over time. For one thing, hunger hormones, they don't disappear. They are suppressed during the time that you are on the GLP1. But then once you reduce or get off the GLP1, now they get louder. They overcompensate to make up for it. And you get what's called increased food salience. And basically what that means is how much time, how loud is the conversation in your brain about food. And you'll probably also see an increased reward response when you go off or reduce the GLP1 because food is supposed to be pleasurable. We have this signal built in so that we have a natural drive to go looking for food. And that's why it's supposed to be pleasurable. But if we have suppressed these signals artificially, if we have hijacked the system, then once you remove the hijacker, the body tends to overcompensate. So in other words, it can be harder than ever to control cravings and overeating and all these things that created the problem in the first place. So all in all, what that means is that you're basically creating a pharmacological dependency. So is it worth it to take a GLP1? Well, I can't tell you that. That's what you have to figure out. I think it's pretty clear that you always have to restore natural balance. That's the only way to get a long-term solution. And one thing that a lot of people think about wrong in my opinion is they think that if something is symptom free then it's safe. If we don't get any symptoms then it's probably okay right? Well not necessarily. This is how I think we should think about this. That very often a heart attack is the first symptom of cardiovascular disease. we go on for 20, 30, 40 years. There's more and more evidence that heart disease starts in your teenage years. Not that you have a significant problem, but the beginning seed is there. That's when the process starts. And yet, we feel nothing. We know nothing until that heart attack hits. And in many cases, the first one is fatal. So we absolutely do not want to use symptoms as the primary factor to decide if

something is good for us or where we are in the process. So, regarding GLP-1 and hunger, the body has developed over a very, very long time, as long as we have been on the planet, a very complicated and delicate system, very fine-tuned systems to sense low resources. And we have a bunch of hormones to mobilize energy like glucagon and cortisol and growth hormone when resources are low. and it's very fine-tuned and it runs on nanograms. So we have these two main actors which is glucagon and GLP and glucagon is all about maintaining blood glucose and mobilized resources versus GLP1 which can help with the timing of food processing. Remember that's what it's for. And the reason it shuts down hunger is that you're not supposed to be hungry right after you ate. So GLP1 is, again, I've said this many times, but please hear this. GLP1 should only be present with food. That's why it shuts down hunger. And I hope you can see by now that this very system, this delicate balancing system exists in the first place to keep you alive and keep you healthy, not to be silenced long term. This is all survival biology. And when you override it, there's going to be consequences. If you enjoyed this video, you're going to love that one. And if you truly want to master health by understanding how the body really works, make sure you subscribe, hit that bell, and turn on all the notifications so you never miss a life-saving video.