September 21, 2026

Best Tools for Gut Health & Weight Loss | Dr. Chris Thompson

Dr. Chris Thompson, MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chief of Interventional Gastroenterology at Mass General Brigham in Boston, and Co-Director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness, is a world-renowned expert on gastroenterology, metabolism, nutrition, and obesity medicine. He explains how your GI tract regulates hunger, fullness, and blood sugar, as well as the gut microbiome, metabolic health, and weight loss. We also discuss common GI tract issues and which particular tests or interventions are actually useful. We discuss both GLP-1 medications and non-GLP-1 approaches to weight loss. Given that gut health is vital to all the organs of the body, overall health, and longevity, our discussion ought to be of interest and practical value to everyone, including, of course, those struggling with gut health or weight loss challenges. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Lingo: https://hellolingo.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Our Place: https://fromourplace.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Chris Thompson (00:02:16) Digestive Tract, Gut Hormones & Nutrient Absorption (00:08:06) Colon Microbiome & Colon Cancer Screening (00:11:13) Sponsors: LMNT & Lingo (00:13:40) Swallowing Problems & Zenker's Diverticula (00:16:08) Bowel Movements & Constipation (00:18:28) Fiber, Resistant Starch & the Gut Barrier (00:21:50) Intermittent Fasting & the Gut Microbiome (00:23:38) Fermented Foods, Microbial Diversity & Butyrate (00:27:12) H. pylori, Stress & Stomach Ulcers (00:30:20) GLP-1 Medications: Benefits & Limitations (00:33:42) Lower GLP-1 Doses, Weight Regain & Muscle Loss (00:37:35) GLP-1 Side Effects, Food Noise & Apathy (00:39:49) Bariatric Surgery & Medical Innovation (00:46:07) Sponsor: AG1 (00:47:44) Hunger & Satiety: Ghrelin, CCK, GIP & GLP-1 (00:50:01) Retatrutide & Combining Hormonal Targets (00:52:55) Ultra-Processed Foods, Overeating & Leptin (00:55:32) Incretin Discovery, Exendin-4 & the Gila Monster (00:59:35) Endoscopic Ultrasound & Pancreatic Biopsy (01:07:40) Early Metabolic Markers, CGMs & Fasting Insulin (01:13:06) Insulin Resistance & Metabolic Flexibility (01:15:53) Sponsor: Function (01:17:35) Patient Data, Screening & Treatment Adoption (01:26:31) AI, Robotics & Improving Procedures (01:29:27) Choosing a Surgeon & Measuring Procedure Quality (01:35:29) Image Guidance & Hyperspectral Imaging (01:37:19) Sponsor: Our Place (01:38:56) Diagnostics & Targeted Metabolic Treatments (01:42:45) Gastric Bypass, Foregut Exclusion & Diabetes (01:47:59) Duodenal Liners & Mucosal Resurfacing Research (01:52:58) Gut Permeability, Inflammation & Fatty Liver (01:59:39) Artificial Sweeteners, Fructose, Fats & Omega-3s (02:05:00) Resistance Training, Zone 2 Cardio & Intervals (02:06:31) Weight Set Point & Metabolic Adaptation (02:08:13) Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty & Fundus Ablation (02:10:30) Magnetic Intestinal Connections & Combined Treatments (02:16:52) GLP-1 Gene Therapy Research (02:22:13) Innovation, Problem Solving & Teamwork (02:25:58) Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors & Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About this Show

Huberman Lab

The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017. Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets. In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.