Leptin is a protein hormone produced in fat cells that regulates body weight by interacting with the hypothalamus. It signals the body when there is no hunger, but excess food consumption can make it difficult to read the biological drive to stop eating. Paying attention to the signals emitted by the hypothalamus can help achieve a higher standard of physical health.
Leptin is an example of a 16 Kda protein hormone produced in the body’s fat cells. Leptin’s role has to do with regulating body weight through interaction with the hypothalamus. Here are some examples of how leptin works within the system and why the hormone is so important to our physical health.
First discovered during the latter part of the 20th century, leptin uses the bloodstream to travel around the brain. From there, leptin is able to work on specific neurons within the hypothalamus to aid in appetite regulation. Stimulation of the hypothalamus by leptin usually causes it to send signals letting the body know that there is currently no hunger and it is time to abstain from food consumption. Because the hormone works to control the rate and degree of hunger the body experiences, it plays an invaluable role in helping minimize physical cravings for food, although leptin has no impact on emotional cravings for sweets and other forms of food.
While protein hormones can do their job very well, they do not guarantee that individuals do not eat more food than is necessary for a healthy balance. Nor is it possible for the leptin chemical reaction in the system to control the types of foods that are consumed by the individual. From this perspective, people may choose to ignore the fact that they are not hungry and choose to have a snack or a second helping of a meal. When this happens, the excess food consumption is converted into energy and stored as fat in the body. Over time, the presence of excess fat can actually make the appetite-regulating function of leptin hormones more difficult, as the individual may no longer be able to clearly read the biological drive to cease and desist.
The presence of leptin in the system is a natural way of sensing when there is no need for additional food. By learning to pay attention to the signals emitted by the hypothalamus and choosing to limit food consumption, most of us would have fewer weight problems and would achieve a higher standard of physical health. Fortunately, it is possible to re-educate our minds to pay attention to these physical cues that begin with the production of leptin in the system and to change our eating habits to meet the energy demands our bodies provide us every day.
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