Jane asks:
“I’ve been hearing a lot about the hormone Leptin lately. Can you tell me a little bit about it?”
Well, Jane–if you’ve even heard anything about Leptin you know more than most.
Leptin, believe it or not, is actually the most important hormone in your body…and among the most newly discovered. It orchestrates and regulates all other hormones and controls virtually all functions of the hypothalamus in the brain. They found it in the last place they would have expected to: in our fat cells.
Until its discovery in 1994 scientists believed that body fat was just an unwanted, ugly mass of excess, cumbersome energy storage. This view has been changed forever. Body fat is now understood to be a sophisticated endocrine organ. A primary purpose of leptin is to coordinate the metabolic, endocrine and behavioral responses to starvation. It powerfully impacts our emotions, cravings and behavior. It turns out, in fact, that leptin isn’t the only hormone secreted by adipocytes (fat cells) and that dozens of other hormones are produced there, as well. Many of them are pro-inflammatory in nature. In fact, Leptin is an inflammatory cytokine and has a major role to play in the body’s inflammatory processes, as well. It also mediates the production of other inflammatory compounds in your body fat throughout your body.
If you haven’t heard of it, or if your doctor hasn’t heard of it, don’t be surprised. Drug companies have yet to create any drug that can positively influence leptin function. The only thing that can do this is diet. (-So much for fat pharmaceutical profits there.) Therefore, little about this important hormone is taught in medical schools or discussed in the media, despite its extreme importance. In all likelihood, you have either never heard about it or have only heard very little.
Leptin is a good hormone to get to know, though its function in the body is extremely complex. Understanding leptin is tantamount to understanding how to regulate the rest of your endocrine system, conquer your emotions, dramatically improve your health and even prolong your life. It’s THE most important hormone in the body. No other hormonal imbalance in the body, in fact, can ultimately be restored to healthy balance without leptin functioning normally. Keeping leptin levels healthfully low can prevent most diseases of aging and greatly extend normal healthy lifespan. High levels of leptin have been associated with most known degenerative diseases, inflammation, as well as obesity and a short lifespan. The more you can increase your brain and receptor sensitivity to this critical hormone, by far the healthier you will be.
Leptin essentially controls mammalian metabolism. Leptin oversees all energy stores. Leptin decides whether to make us hungry and store more fat or whether to burn fat. Leptin controls the thyroid, which regulates the rate of metabolism. Leptin orchestrates our inflammatory response and can even control sympathetic vs. parasympathetic arousal in your nervous system. If any part of our endocrine system is awry, including our adrenals or sex hormones, you will never, ever have a prayer of truly resolving those issues until you have brought your leptin under control.
I cover more about Leptin in my book: Primal Body-Primal Mind: Emower Your Total Health the Way Evolution Intended (…and Didn’t). If you haven’t already ordered it you can do that HERE.
I’ve been hearing a lot about the hormone Leptin lately. Can you tell me a little bit about it?
I would like to know what I should buy from the grocery store. Im 32 and I have an 8 year old who loves sweets and a lot of unhealthy things. Ive gained 20 lbs in a year and I am always tired. I use to model and this is depressing me. I have been speed walking for 3 weeks now with no results. The only way that I can loose weight is to go on a low low carb diet, and I cant take that for but so long. Help. My belly has cellulite on it and my legs and its affecting my sex life.
Dear Alicia–
Not to sound like a salesperson, but my book would be really helpful for you. It’s difficult to put issues like yours into a paragraph or two “soundbite”, as there is a lot to talk about. My book would likely answer all your questions. In short, however, you are right that low carb is the only way to go. Eliminating (not just reducing) all sugars (even “natural sweeteners”), plus bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal and all other forms of starch would be essential. Sorry. This would be appropriate for your son, too, while you still have some control over his dietary choices and he still has time to establish better dietary habits. Moderate your protein intake and use natural fat to satisfy your appetite. Do NOT overly limit fat or try to eat low-fat. Be sure to get omega-3’s from fish oil and GLA from black currant seed oil (these are essential fatty acids). You can eat as many fibrous veggies and greens as you want–cooked and/or raw. Try getting more magnesium. You can use supplements like L-glutamine (powdered form – a teaspoon several times a day) and 4,000 mg of gymnema sylvestre 3 times a day to help kill your carb cravings. Eventually you will find yourself depending on fat–not sugar–as your primary source of fuel and you should find yourself having zero cravings for the carb-rich foods you once thought you couldn’t live without. Your energy will skyrocket and your weight will come down to where it needs to be easily and naturally. Remember…you can’t get good at burning fat by burning sugar all the time. Good luck to you.
4,000 mg of Gymnema Sylvestre – where do you find this product? I can’t find 4,000 mg’s.