Last week, here on 430 To Fit, I mentioned that I had learned recently some new information about Skin Tags and their cause. Another thing I learned about was Leptin Resistance.
I had heard of Leptin before, but honestly did not really know what it was, or what its function was.
Firstly, I learned that Leptin is a hormone in our bodies. The function of Leptin is to signal the brain when our body has enough stored fat. It is natural that our bodies want to store some fat so that if we go through a period when times are lean, we have some fat stored away to sustain us during the lean time when food is not so plentiful. So, somehow our body determines how much fat it wants to store to cover us during lean times, and when we have that amount of fat stored away, our body should send out some leptin to notify the brain that we have an adequate amount of fat in storage and we no longer need to eat extra to build up the fat stores.
Unfortunately, some people are now calling Leptin the “obesity hormone”. This is because, some theorize that for some reason, our body is not sending out adequate amounts of Leptin, so our brain still thinks that we need to eat more, to protects us from lean times ahead.
Another theory that has become popular recently is that some people are developing Leptin resistance.
Insulin Resistance
We have talked about Insulin Resistance a number of times on this website, including last week. Basically what Insulin Resistance is is when we eat and it triggers our body to release the hormone insulin. This insulin regulates our blood sugar and also directs the nutrients to either be used in our body or to be stored away as fat. Insulin acts as sort of a traffic cop and directs the nutrients we eat on where it should go. Unfortunately, usually what insulin does is to direct our body to store more fat.
Well, if we have Insulin Resistance, which is what most Type 2 Diabetics have when insulin is released, our body does not use the insulin properly. Since our body can sense that more insulin is needed because the amount already released has not been effective, so more insulin is released, and so on. It is a vicious cycle that makes us have way too much insulin in our system. The solution that most doctors apply toward diabetes is to give us more insulin, which only compounds the problem of insulin resistance. It makes us gain a lot of weight, which in turn can make us even more insulin resistant.
Leptin Resistance
OK, so our body releases Leptin which should tell our brain that we have eaten enough and we have a good storage of fat to sustain us in case food is no longer available for a time. But, if we have developed Leptin Resistance, that would mean that our brain is not getting the signal that we no longer need to eat. That means that we keep eating, and we get more fat than we already are. In turn, as we eat, more insulin is released, because we are insulin resistant, and more insulin means more fat. So, our brain is not telling the body to stop eating, and as we continue eating, the excess insulin is directing our body to store more and more fat. As I said, it is a vicious cycle, and really a catch 22 situation.
As more and more doctors are beginning to feel that Leptin Resistance is a real thing, just like Insulin Resistance, to me, this makes a lot of sense. It explains why so many people are obese these days compared to 50 or 60 years ago.
I believe that I was Leptin Resistant
As I look at myself in the past, and how I ate, I really believe that I had Leptin Resistance. I know for sure I had Insulin Resistance because there are blood tests, which I had, that can show your level of Insulin Resistance. I believe I have conquered both of these problems, mostly through fasting.
I know that in the past there were lots of times I would be eating, and I would think to myself that with the amount I had eaten I should be full, but I was still hungry, so it seemed I needed to eat more. This, to me, is a real sign of Leptin Resistance.
What about you, would your eating habits and your level of hunger indicate to you that you are Leptin Resistant?
Interesting. I was not aware of this.
Each posting seems to be a new learning experience.
Hi LeRoy – I also knew nothing about this until I came upon something last week and started doing some research. Like you, I am learning all the time about this stuff. I am not an expert, I just like to pass along the things that I learn.