What Is Leptin, and Why Is It So Important?

Leave a Comment

The single most important fat-burning hormone in your body. Its name is leptin, and it is a critically important hormone that helps control or influence practically every other weight loss hormone in your body… and can impact your ability to burn fat as a whole.1-3

You see, when you have leptin on your side, and pair that with a healthy diet and exercise, it’s like having a secret weapon for fat loss.* When you don’t, losing even a single pound is like doing a job without all the best tools available—we worked hard to craft the best tools to help you become your best you.*

 

And here’s the reality: just about everyone is unknowingly fighting a losing battle with leptin each and every time they attempt to lose weight. With that said, it’s pretty easy to see why so many folks, and perhaps you’re one of them, struggle to shed their unwanted body fat, month after month, year after year.

Now, in the next few paragraphs I’m going to explain to you exactly why and how leptin might be limiting your fat loss.

First, in order to burn fat, your body depends on these two things:4-6

1) High levels of leptin*
2) Highly-sensitive leptin “receptors”*

Now for the bad news (and don’t worry, good news is coming)…

Anytime you go on a diet and reduce your calorie intake, leptin levels plummet and fat burning is dramatically reduced.7-9 Why? Because leptin’s main function is to protect your body against starvation, and in the midst of decreased food intake (i.e. dieting), your body unfortunately views your stored body fat as a huge asset to survival. After all, body fat provides a vast supply of stored energy and warmth, both highly-valued resources when food is in short supply.

You see, when you go on a diet, your body isn’t aware of your hopes for a slim, tight waistline or your desire to drop unsightly fat in time for your high school reunion or summer beach season. In fact, the only thing it does know is that your calorie intake is now below “normal”… and to your brain, that’s a big red flag.

The result: reduced leptin levels… which triggers decreased fat-burning.

In fact, some research has shown that leptin levels can drop by as much as 50% after just 7 days of dieting… that puts you at only 50% of your fat-burning potential just one week in to your fat loss plan, and it only gets worse with each passing day.10,11

And if that wasn’t bad enough, with every pound you do struggle to lose, leptin levels fall even further, making it even more difficult for you to continue to lose fat.12,13 Why? Because, as mentioned, in the face of calorie restriction, your body views stored body fat as an asset to survival. The more fat you lose, the more “danger” your body senses, and the harder it is to strip away that next pound.

Hello fat loss plateaus!

References

  1. Van Dijk G. The role of leptin in regulation of energy balance and adiposity. J Neuroendocrinol 2001 Oct;13(10):913-21.
  2. Ahima RS, et al. Leptin regulation of neuroendocrine systems. Front Neuroendocrinolgy 2000 Jul;21(3):263-307.
  3. Kennedy A et al. The metabolic significance of leptin in humans: gender-based differences in relationship to adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and energy expenditure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Apr;82(4):1293-300.
  4. Ahima RS, Flier JS. Leptin. Annu Rev Physiol. 2000;62:413-37. Review.
  5. Doucet E et al. Changes in energy expenditure and substrate oxidation resulting from weight loss in obese men and women: is there an important contribution of leptin? J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000 Apr;85(4):1550-6.
  6. Miyawaki T et al. Clinical implications of leptin and its potential humoral regulators in long-term low-calorie diet therapy for obese humans. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002 Jul;56(7):593-600.
  7. Mars M et al. Fasting leptin and appetite responses induced by a 4-day 65%-energy-restricted diet. Int J Obes (Lond). 2006 Jan;30(1):122-8.
  8. Boden G et al. Effect of fasting on serum leptin in normal human subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Sep;81(9):3419-23.
  9. Weigle DS et al. Effect of fasting, refeeding, and dietary fat restriction on plasma leptin levels. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Feb;82(2):561-5.
  10. Dubuc GR, Havel PJ et al. Changes of serum leptin and endocrine and metabolic parameters after 7 days of energy restriction in men and women. Metabolism. 1998 Apr;47(4):429-34.
  11. Wisse BE et al. Effect of prolonged moderate and severe energy restriction and refeeding on plasma leptin concentrations in obese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Sep;70(3):321-30.
  12. Levine AS and CK Billington. Do circulating leptin concentrations reflect body adiposity or energy flux? Am J Cline Nutr. 1998. 68: 761-762
  13. Jequier E. Leptin signaling, adiposity, and energy balance. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002. Jun;967:379-88. Review.
  14. Bowles L, Kopelman P. Leptin: of mice and men? J Clin Pathol 2001 Jan;54(1):1-3
  15. Zimmet P. Serum leptin concentration, obesity, and insulin resistance in Western Samoans: cross sectional study. BMJ. 1996 Oct 19;313(7063):965-9.
  16. Nedvidkova J. Leptin. Cesk Fysiol. 1997 Dec;46(4):182-8. Review.
  17. Ngondi JL, Etoundi BC, Nyangono CB, Mbofung CM, Oben JE, “IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the West African plant Irvingia gabonensis, significantly reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight humans in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled investigation,” Lipids Health Dis. 2009 Mar 2;8:7
  18. Azantsa, B. et al. “The effect of extracts of Irvingia gabonensis (IGOB131) and Dichrostachys glomerata (Dyglomera™) on body weight and lipid parameters of healthy overweight participants.” Awaiting publication 2015. Azantsa, B. et al. “The effect of extracts of Irvingia gabonensis (IGOB131) and Dichrostachys glomerata (Dyglomera™) on body weight and lipid parameters of healthy overweight participants.” Awaiting publication 2015.
  19. Auvichayapat, Paradee, et al. “Effectiveness of green tea on weight reduction in obese Thais: A randomized, controlled trial.” Physiology & behavior 93.3 (2008): 486-491.
  20. Maki, Kevin C., et al. “Green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss in overweight and obese adults.” The Journal of nutrition 139.2 (2009): 264-270.
  21. Sugita, Jun, et al. “Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract activates brown adipose tissue and increases whole-body energy expenditure in men.” British Journal of Nutrition 110.04 (2013): 733-738.
  22. Sugita, Jun, et al. “Daily ingestion of grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract increases whole-body energy expenditure and decreases visceral fat in humans.” Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology 60.1 (2014): 22-27.
  23. McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL. Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance. Vol Eighth edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.
  24. Young, Simon N., and Marco Leyton. “The role of serotonin in human mood and social interaction: insight from altered tryptophan levels.” Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 71.4 (2002): 857-865.
  25. Wurtman, Richard J., and Judith J. Wurtman. “Brain serotonin, carbohydrate‐craving, obesity and depression.” Obesity Research 3.S4 (1995): 477S-480S.

Speak Your Mind

*