Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD 32. Dr. Ed Walker: How to Control Your Hunger Naturally (Without Injections)
Feb 15, 2025
Dr. Ed Walker, a PhD researcher specializing in plant-based compounds at the New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research, discusses groundbreaking insights on appetite regulation. He explains how bitterness can enhance GLP-1, a hormone crucial for managing hunger and metabolism. The conversation covers the ancient use of bitter plants in traditional medicine and their modern relevance, including an innovative supplement called Amarasate. Walker highlights the broader implications of GLP-1 for cognitive health and offers science-backed strategies for sustainable weight management.
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Bitterness and Appetite
- Bitterness has a long history of use in traditional medicine for appetite suppression and glucose control.
- The Romans, however, used bitterness to stimulate appetite before feasts, creating a seeming contradiction.
The Bitter Break
- The location of bitterness detection matters: bitterness on the tongue stimulates appetite, while bitterness in the gut suppresses it.
- This "bitter break" theory suggests that gut bitterness activates satiety hormones.
Gut Taste Receptors
- Research confirms the presence of bitter taste receptors throughout the gut, not just on the tongue.
- These receptors likely evolved to protect against ingesting toxins.