Leptin: It’s Role in Women’s Health

What is Leptin and why do recent findings show that it plays a big role in women’s health? Leptin is essentially a hormone that is produced by the body and is responsible for a number of things that happens inside a woman’s body. Leptin has been found to play a huge role in a woman’s neuroendocrine health as well as in her reproductive health. It has even been found to play a role in how a woman gains and looses weight. Let us examine what major roles Leptin does play in the lives of women.

Leptin and Weight Control

The recent findings of some doctors that links the hormone called Leptin with the way a woman loses and gains weight has given some people an insight on how to better lose the weight they put on. The hormone Leptin basically affects a woman’s hypothalamus and it often tells the brain if and when you should be hungry. Leptin is said to be secreted by a woman’s fat cells and such communication between these cells and the brain is the new key to successfully losing weight. Leptin controls the body’s level of fat and glycogen storage, which are the two fuels used by the body for energy. It also controls the way your body uses these fuels at the cellular level, which is to tell your brain that you have to eat because you are running out of fuel. This means that if you have a rather high amount of Leptin in your body telling your brain that you are hungry, you are essentially on your way to weight gain.

Leptin Resistance and Weight Gain

Women who develop what is called Leptin resistance may find themselves gaining weight. Why? You can compare Leptin resistance to insulin resistance. If your body gets too much exposure to certain hormones, like insulin, it builds a certain immunity to that hormone. When a body is treated to constant surges in Leptin and insulin, the cells adjust to these surges and the body begins to adjust to increases in the need for these hormones. This is why people who are insulin resistant develop diabetes because of the body’s adjustment to the higher development of insulin. The same goes for Leptin and a woman who develops Leptin resistance. The body adjusts to the increase of Leptin in the body and an increase in the hormone Leptin coursing through your body will signal the brain that you are hungry hence the feeling that you need to eat.

How to Try and Control Leptin Surges in the Body

The hormone called Leptin is produced the same way that insulin is – with an increase in sugar and carbohydrate intake that can also produce fat when it is not burned up by the body. The reduction of sugary foods as well as foods high in carbohydrates will help keep the production of Leptin in a woman’s body down. You may need to consult with a health professional on how to properly reduce your intake of carbohydrates and sugars to keep your Leptin and insulin at reasonable levels.