Leptin is a hormone that triggers feelings of satiety. Because of this effect, it is also considered a means of losing weight. But leptin has side effects that make it less recommended.
Leptin is a metabolic hormone that is also known as the “satiety hormone”. However, this is not a scientific term, but only a colloquial description of its function. Leptin influences the feeling of hunger and satiety in the body and because of this property also plays a role in weight changes.
Additional leptin intake is said to help with weight loss. The hormone is available in tablet and capsule form, for example, or as an injection. However, its use as a diet is not entirely harmless: leptin has side effects. Studies show, among other things, that high doses can have a negative effect on memory performance.
How does leptin work in the body?
The body’s own leptin is initially produced as a protein in adipose tissue. If the fat cells are full after a meal, they release leptin into the bloodstream. Here the substance unfolds its effect as a hormone. It reaches the brain via the bloodstream and binds to certain receptors there. Of particular importance is the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that serves as the body’s “control center”.
The hypothalamus regulates various important bodily functions such as blood pressure, water and salt balance. Leptin activates nerve cells in the hypothalamus that release hunger-reducing messenger substances and at the same time inhibits nerve cells that cravings trigger. The body then signals a feeling of satiety.
In view of these processes, the idea that leptin could suppress feelings of hunger and thus help with weight loss seems obvious. Various diet and nutritional supplements are based on this assumption dietary supplementsthat contain leptin. In practice, however, losing weight with leptin proves to be problematic for various reasons. Its success is dubious – and leptin can have side effects.
Losing weight with leptin: That’s why it’s not that easy
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According to the knowledge magazine Spektrum, leptin can actually help you lose weight, but usually leads to “moderate weight loss” at best. Overall, the results are no better than other fat reduction drugs.
This could also be due to the fact that the saturation processes, in which leptin plays such an important role, are often disrupted, especially in the case of severe obesity. As the Federal Ministry of Education and Research reports, overweight people can develop leptin resistance. The saturation effect in the brain then no longer occurs, even with increased amounts of leptin. In this case, of course, adding more leptin to the body from the outside has no effect either.
According to biologist Alexander Tups, such resistance arises from a diet rich in saturated fat is. In the long term, it can also lead to secondary diseases such as diabetes. It has not yet been clearly clarified whether leptin resistance, once it has developed, can be reversed. Tups is investigating this question, among others, as part of a research project at the University of Marburg.
Leptin and its side effects
In addition, there are more and more research results that establish a connection between leptin and memory performance. This is because leptin affects brain processes not only in the hypothalamus, but also in the hippocampus, which is responsible for long- and short-term memory. The studies do not explicitly refer to externally supplied leptin in the form of tablets, capsules or injections. However, they suggest that high leptin levels are generally problematic and that leptin can have side effects that affect the brain.
The Scottish biochemist Jenni Harvey observed this phenomenon especially in overweight patients with diabetes: Due to their high leptin levels, they could have short-term memory lapses that are similar to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Matthew Wayner from the University of Texas also demonstrated in studies with rats that although leptin is important for brain function in normal doses, it can disrupt it in excessive amounts.
So, the side effects of leptin on the body are very complex. Some researchers are currently also looking at ways in which a leptin defect could be normalized in a targeted manner. Corresponding drugs are not yet available on the market.
Conclusion: Losing weight is also possible without leptin
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Leptin is therefore not recommended as a means of losing weight: At best, it causes minor weight loss, but it can also remain completely ineffective in the case of leptin resistance. In addition, there is a reasonable suspicion that the hormone can be harmful to memory performance in excessive doses. An additional supply from the outside is at least questionable from this point of view.
In any case, the most effective way to achieve a healthy body weight is not through diets or dietary supplements, but through one balanced nutrition. If you do without too much sugar and fat and provide your body with all the important nutrients, you can and in the long term lose weight effectively. You don’t have to be guided by social ideals of beauty: Your health and personal well-being should be the priority.
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