How Bile Controls Insulin, GLP-1, and Fat Burning
From The Metabolic Classroom with Dr. Ben Bikman by Insulin IQ
February 23, 2026 · 23 min · Episode 138
About this episode
Dr. Bikman explores the significant role of bile acids as hormone-like signaling molecules in metabolic health.
📢 Ask Dr. Bikman’s Digital Mind (multilingual): https://benbikman.com/ben-bikmans-digital-ai-mind 📢 Dr. Bikman’s Community & Coaching Site: https://insuliniq.com Topic: Bile acids are powerful hormone-like signaling molecules that regulate liver fat, glucose production, insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, inflammation, and GLP-1 release through FXR and TGR5 receptors. Gallbladder function and bile acid signaling play a far greater role in metabolic health than most people realize. Summary: Ben explores a largely overlooked metabolic regulator: bile acids. While bile is commonly understood as a digestive fluid that helps emulsify fats, bile acids are now recognized as powerful hormone-like signaling molecules that influence insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial function, thyroid hormone activation, inflammation, GLP-1 release, and fat cell behavior. Dr. Bikman explains the remarkable efficiency of enterohepatic circulation, where bile acids are reabsorbed and recycled multiple times per day. This recycling process allows bile acids to interact with key receptors — FXR (a nuclear receptor) and TGR5 (a G-protein coupled receptor) — triggering metabolic effects throughout the…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Ben Bikman
Topics covered
- bile acids
- insulin sensitivity
- metabolic health
- energy expenditure
- hormone signaling
Keywords
- bile acids
- insulin
- GLP-1
- metabolic regulation
- energy expenditure
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Insulin IQ
Products: bile acids, GLP-1, FXR, TGR5, FGF19
More episodes of The Metabolic Classroom with Dr. Ben Bikman
- Why Amylin May Be the Most Important Weight Loss Hormone You've Never Heard Of · June 8, 2026 · 21 min
- Why Your Ketone Readings Don’t Match · June 1, 2026 · 29 min
- Why Retatrutide May Outperform GLP-1 Drugs · May 25, 2026 · 27 min
- Why Tirzepatide Works Better Than GLP-1 Alone · May 18, 2026 · 33 min
- The Hidden Signals That Make Fat Cells Grow · May 11, 2026 · 30 min
- Why Neuropathy Isn’t Just About Blood Sugar · May 4, 2026 · 23 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Metabolic Classroom with Dr. Ben Bikman podcast page.