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If you are interested in weight management, sooner or later you will come across articles about leptin. Called the “satiety hormone,” produced by fat cells, leptin helps us leave the table at the right time by informing the appropriate center in the brain about the sufficient amount of energy delivered. It is thanks to leptin, among other things, that the relationship between hunger and satiety is balanced (provided that we do not disrupt the harmonious course of these processes with an inappropriate lifestyle!). Today, let’s take a closer look at how leptin is related to weight loss.
How leptin works
Peptin is an anorexigenic peptide hormone involved in numerous metabolic processes. Leptin's primary function in the body is to control appetite, and consequently weight. It also plays a role in areas such as:
- fat and glucose metabolism
- body thermoregulation
- blood pressure regulation
- regulation of sexual maturation
- bone density regulation
- production of blood vessels
- inflammatory and immunological reactions
Leptin resistance
Adipose tissue has long ceased to be seen solely as energy reserves. Our fat reserves take an active part in the processes that provide the body with balance. As an endocrine and hormone-producing organ, adipose tissue produces, among other things, leptin. Since the correlation between the amount of adipose tissue and the level of this hormone in the body is direct, people struggling with an increased BMI or obesity produce larger amounts of leptin than those who fall within healthy ranges.
An increased amount of leptin, maintained for a longer period of time, results in a decrease in the sensitivity of receptors located in the hypothalamus to the hormone. These receptors trigger the feeling of satiety, which helps us control the volume of meals. When we accustom the brain to a high level of leptin, it simply stops responding to it. Leptin resistance acquired in this way makes it difficult to control weight. Moreover, increased amounts of leptin can also lead to the development of insulin resistance and, as a result, to type 2 diabetes.
Leptin and effective weight loss
The control of appetite, which is the responsibility of leptin, makes it an important weapon in the fight against increased appetite. Disturbed leptin production affects uncontrolled weight gain already at the earliest stages of our lives. [1] That is why it is so important to take care of the right weight in children and teenagers. Increased leptin levels in the early phase of development can significantly impede weight maintenance in adulthood. It is also worth noting that the effects of increased leptin are the same as the results of its deficiency - in rare cases, in people suffering from obesity, insufficient leptin production is recorded, which has its sources in hereditary predispositions.
Although appetite is a result of many factors, and increased appetite can be caused by, for example, increased physical activity, low temperatures, emotional reaction to external or internal stimuli, as well as irregular diet and too long breaks between meals, the anti-obesity effect of leptin is beyond doubt. It normalizes the storage of adipose tissue, activates its decomposition and affects metabolism.
Women, due to estrogen activity and a higher body fat content, naturally have higher levels of leptin in their bodies than men (even 2-3 times higher!).
The mechanism of action of leptin is disturbed and makes it difficult for us to control our appetite:
- when the amount of fat tissue increases and this condition persists longer;
- when we lose weight intensively and leptin concentration drops and appetite remains at an increased level;
- when we lack sleep, because we secrete the most leptin during the night.
How to help yourself control your appetite and weight:
- By calculating your actual calorie needs and sticking to healthy values
- Eating leisurely and at regular times
- Reducing external stimuli during a meal (TV, social media, anything that distracts us)
- Sticking to predetermined portions
- Waiting after eating a prepared portion until the information about fullness reaches the brain before reaching for a second helping
- Drinking at least 2 liters of water a day
- Keeping regular sleep hours
[1] https://endocrynologiapediatryczna.pl/contents/files/a_1685.pdf
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