Leptin - The Hunger Hormone

By Jon Herring, Contributing Editor, Total Health Breakthroughs

Insulin is just one of the hormones that affects our hunger mechanism and fat storage. Leptin is another. It was discovered in 1994 by researchers who were studying a genetic line of mice that continually consumed food until they became morbidly obese.

The scientists discovered that these mice were missing a particular hormone. When the researchers injected this hormone into the animals, it curbed their appetite, stimulated their fat-burning metabolism and restored them to a normal body weight.

They called the hormone leptin, derived from the Greek word for "thin."

We have now come to understand that leptin is a powerful messenger hormone. It helps perform countless functions in the body, two of which are extremely beneficial when it comes to hunger and body fat:
It sends a signal to your brain that you are full. This shuts down your hunger mechanism.
It also signals the fat inside your cells to break down into a usable form for energy.

When these signals are working, you stay feeling full for longer. And your fat is burned for fuel, helping you to stay slim.

Are you resistant to leptin?

Leptin functions as a negative feedback loop. It is produced in your fat cells. So the more fat cells you have, the higher your levels of leptin. This helps to suppress your appetite. And it stimulates your metabolism to burn fat. The end result should be a return to a healthy weight.

But when too many fat cells build up, a protein called CRP sticks to the leptin. This prevents the "I'm full" signal from getting to your brain. It also stifles your ability to burn fat. The end result is a condition called leptin resistance, which is highly correlated with obesity (not to mention heart disease and diabetes). Leptin resistance makes losing weight difficult if not impossible.

There are quite a few things you can do to improve leptin's ability to function properly. Here are four that are very important:
Avoid large, gluttonous meals
Reduce your consumption of carbohydrates
Never go to bed on a full stomach
Eat protein with breakfast

There is also an herbal supplement that can help...

Several years ago, Dr. Julius Oben was performing population studies on West African tribal cultures. He noted that one particular region had very low incidences of obesity and diabetes. Then he discovered that the populations in this region use a paste derived from the seed of a bush mango to thicken their soups. They use this substance an average of ten times per week.
The plant is called irvingia gabonensis, and Dr. Oben's discovery led to the development of a powerful extract. What Oben and a team of researchers later discovered is that this substance has an extraordinarily powerful effect on leptin sensitivity.

In a 10-week controlled clinical trial, published in the medical journal Lipids in Health and Disease, the researchers tested the effects of this substance on 100 men and women. Some were normal weight. Some were obese.

They split the groups in two. One group took 150 mg of the irvingia extract twice a day on an empty stomach – a half hour before lunch and a half hour before dinner. The other group received a placebo. The two groups made no other lifestyle or dietary changes.

By the end of the ten weeks, the placebo group lost a mere three pounds. The irvingia group lost an average of 28 lbs and six inches off their waist!

And that's not all...

The group who took the extract also dramatically improved several markers for health, including a substantial 49% drop in leptin (indicating that their leptin sensitivity increased). They also saw a 52% decrease in C-reactive protein (CRP) – the protein which binds to leptin and disrupts its capacity to turn off the hunger switch.

And for good measure, the Irvingia group also experienced an average 22% decrease in blood sugar and a 26% drop in total cholesterol.

Scientists still don't know exactly how the extract produces its effect on leptin and other health markers. But the results speak for themselves. And several other studies have confirmed it. Along with a low glycemic diet, this herbal supplement – irvingia gabonensis – can go a long way toward curbing your appetite and helping you achieve your optimal weight.