Do you have trouble losing weight, or sticking to a healthy eating plan?
It could be due to high Leptin.
>>> Let’s look at LEPTIN – the obesity hormone – in some more detail, and find out what we can do about it!
>>> What high Leptin looks like on a test result
>>> Plus a little LEPTIN QUIZ so so can see if it could be an issue for you!
Let’s talk about leptin
There is sooooo much research out there around the hormone leptin, and today I have a few interesting points to share with you.
The good news, when working with the body holistically, it often doesn’t matter what the specific trigger for an out of range leptin hormone is, as treating the thyroid system, and balancing the other hormones responsible for energy will bring leptin back into range.
What is Leptin?
Initially, leptin was viewed as a hormone designed to prevent obesity, but several studies now suggest that leptin also signals the switch from the fed to the starved state indicating an important interplay between thyroid hormones and leptin.
Leptin is a hormone secreted by our fat cells which assists in regulating the appetite, and the way our body stores fats and utilises energy. The more fat cells we have, the more leptin, and this can lead to decreased tissue sensitivity, meaning the cells start to ‘ignore’ leptin signals!
When your brain doesn’t receive the “I’m full!” message from leptin, it thinks you’re still hungry and acts to increase your energy intake. This can be much more serious than dealing with a few cravings; leptin resistance can lead to increased body weight, obesity and metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and poor cholesterol balance.
This one little hormone which can cause such a big fuss is regulated by several mediators, including insulin, Glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones. So if you have imbalances in these areas, this could be driving your out of control leptin levels up and stalling your weight loss.
Leptin Gene Mutation
Some people have a genetic variation of the human leptin receptor gene, this can also cause obesity coupled with hypothyroidism.
Studies have proven that leptin levels have more relationship with free T4 than TSH. So a simple TSH thyroid screen can really miss the complexities behind weight issues. And given that other hormone markers can drive leptin to unwanted levels, it goes to show the need for thorough and investigative testing.
Thankfully, a holistic approach can improve genetic factors with cellular detoxification, allowing our DNA to express healthier genes through the science of epigenetics.
Leptin and Hashimoto’s
An interesting study showed that leptin is capable of modulating the immune response. Inflammation from autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s and Grave’s disease induce leptin production and leptin has a direct effect on the inflammatory response.
This is one case why patients with inflammatory conditions have high leptin – and why when we treat the inflammation with correctional diet and herbal intervention, leptin levels decrease – and weight loss is possible.
This patient also had suboptimal hypothyroidism, and was trying to lose 15 kg without luck.
Her blood sugars are also out of range due to a carbohydrate rich diet, and this result shows she is on her way to pre-diabetes unless she makes some better food choices.
Once we corrected her diet and addressed the thyroid hormones with nutritional and herbal therapies, she then started to lose weight due to lower levels of leptin – and she was stoked!
DYI Leptin Resistance Quiz
Do you have any of the following symptoms? If YES, leptin may be a hormonal issue for you.
- Food cravings
- Hunger after meals
- Poor energy levels
- Weight gain (or trouble losing weight)
- Tests showed higher levels of insulin
- Cellulite
Treatment Solutions
We use an individualised approach for each patient we see. No one-size-fits-all approach is used, as every case is unique due to genetic factors, medical history, diet now and past, age, gender, and nutritional status.
The first step is to get functional testing which thoroughly assesses hormones in varying states of imbalance, methylation factors, nutritional levels, and detoxification status.
Once armed with these answers, we can optimise nutrients and supplement according to level of deficiency.
Your supplement program also must be supported with appropriate diet and lifestyle factors, and regular appointments to review your progress ensure you are meeting your health targets every month.
This is a really thorough approach – and is how we get such great results. In fact, most of our patients meet their health goals within 12 weeks of treatment!
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