Leptin is the key hormone that regulates satiety. It is produced in visceral fat and controls energy metabolism in the body, including affecting weight gain. Basically, it suppresses appetite and stops eating.
In women, leptin can increase after menopause – which is one of the reasons for weight gain. This is expressed in the fact that it becomes more difficult for them to fight hunger. In turn, intermittent fasting (and the 16/8 diet) are ways to normalize the level of this hormone.
What is leptin?
Leptin is a key energy metabolism hormone. It affects both the feeling of hunger and the feeling of fullness when eating food. Since this hormone is synthesized in adipose tissue, leptin provides the brain with information about exactly how much energy is stored in the body.
In fact, the hormone leptin (along with the hormone ghrelin) is an appetite regulator. Normal levels of these hormones tell the brain that there is enough energy. In turn, declining leptin is a signal that energy is running out and calories are needed.
The difference between ghrelin is that the level of ghrelin depends on meals (before a meal its level is higher, and after a meal, it is lower), and the level of leptin depends on the number of visceral fat cells. In fact, the more internal fat in the body, the higher the level of the hormone leptin.
Where is it produced?
Leptin is produced in visceral fat, skeletal muscle, and in the gastric mucosa. In other words, its level depends both on the level of physical activity of a person (and the susceptibility of muscles to insulin) and on the diet.
Factors for increasing leptin can be an excessive amount of visceral fat, refusal to eat for a long period (more than 16-20 hours), a balance of dietary intake, smoking, thyroid disorders, and a drop in testosterone levels (in men).
Why are Leptin levels high? Reasons
In a healthy person, a stable level of leptin tells the brain that there is an adequate supply of energy in fat cells. However, with the growth of visceral fat, the metabolism fails – the brain begins to believe that a person constantly needs calories.
In addition, the production of leptin is closely related to tissue resistance to insulin – in simple terms, it affects the body’s ability to process and absorb carbohydrates in the right way. The result of excess (or lack) leptin is appetite disturbance and metabolic problems.
Leptin in women
Since women’s leptin levels are typically 2-4 times higher than men’s, girls are much more likely to be leptin resistant. Trying to lose weight due to a sharp refusal to eat, they only provoke a further increase in leptin and an increase in resistance to it.
Plus, hormonal changes after menopause have an impact on leptin production. Given the fact that the hormone is responsible for both bone health and cholesterol levels, this can create negative health consequences.
Leptin in men
Since skeletal muscle can produce leptin, the more muscle in the body (and the higher the testosterone), the better the body is able to regulate appetite. That is why regular training improves metabolism – at the same time, fat burning improves.
In turn, a sedentary lifestyle and malnutrition (fast carbohydrates, salt, and animal fats) lead to an increase in leptin – and gaining excess weight and the growth of visceral fat only increases its production. As a result, a large belly begins to grow.
How to lower leptin levels?
Regular consumption of large doses of fast carbohydrates (including sugar, sweet fruits, bread, sweets, pastries, white rice, and potatoes) is a key factor in disrupting normal metabolism in general and leptin metabolism in particular.
Gradually, the brain gets used to chronically high blood glucose levels, reducing both insulin and leptin sensitivity. Research suggests that elevated leptin is often the first sign of a person developing type 2 diabetes.
In turn, diabetes mellitus impairs the body’s ability to properly use the energy of carbohydrates from food, as a result of which the body tries to get rid of calories as quickly as possible, storing them in fat.
Intermittent fasting and proper diet
In order to lower leptin levels and restore the body’s ability to adequately respond to insulin, both regular physical training and an almost complete rejection of fast carbohydrates are required – but without drastically limiting caloric intake.
The simplest diet in this case is the keto diet, which implies the rejection of carbohydrates. Also, intermittent fasting can be used to lower hormone levels – for example, according to the 16/8 scheme (called the “16/8 diet”)
A leptin-lowering diet should be based on an abundance of dietary fiber (primarily a variety of green vegetables and whole grains), lean meats, and plenty of healthy vegetable fats. At the same time, the use of sweets should be limited as much as possible.
The hormone leptin is a key regulator of appetite and satiety, telling the body when fat stores are present. Elevated leptin disrupts metabolism, leading to the development of diabetes mellitus and concomitant obesity. Unfortunately, most calorie-reduced diets exacerbate this mechanism.