Reversing Leptin Resistance

Whether or not you feel as if you indulge on food or you control your meal portions very well, leptin resistance can trap anyone into a vicious cycle of weight gain. If specific leptin signals influence your physiology and those are being blocked, of course it is in your best interest to find out what you could possibly do to become more sensitive to those leptin signals again.

What is leptin resistance exactly?

Approximately only the size of a pea, the hypothalamus is the part of your brain neurologists have identified as responsible for recognizing the energy needs of your body. When the hypothalamic cells stop recognizing hormone signals that circulate through the blood stream, which reflect the body’s total energy stores directly, this leads to insatiable hunger, brain fog, low energy and irritability because of the misperception made by the hypothalamus that the body is starving. 

Three factors are known to contribute to this health condition: chronic inflammation, elevated free fatty acids and having higher than average leptin levels in general. The consensus is that these factors interfere with the hormone signaling process.[1]

Inflammatory responses that occur around the body are a natural, protective mechanism and a part of healing. However, sustained inflammation can cause chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes or lymphocytic thyroiditis, which are conditions that can go hand in hand with obesity.[2]

Adolescence and fat cell accumulation

At this point in time, it remains well understood that the total number of fat cells living within the human body never shifts throughout adulthood. Therefore, the weight maintained during childhood can directly impact your state of health in later years because you will be able to control only the volume of fat that accumulates within those stores, not the total count itself.[3]

What can you do to improve your circumstances?

Expert advice suggests that you can counter and even improve leptin sensitivity via diet by eating plenty of soluble fiber and protein while reducing your total consumption of carbohydrates, which will in turn promote weight loss and decrease triglyceride levels.[4]

Liposuction and even bariatric surgeries might also be advisable for those seeking out treatments for leptin resistance. A surgical procedure such as liposuction offers permanent results based on the fact that it decreases the total fat cell count on the hips, under the chin or around the belly, for example. A gastric balloon, on the other hand, would help a patient limit weight gain by slowing down the speed at which they eat and limiting the overall amount of food consumed.

At our clinic, we understand the nuances of maintaining weight and the balancing act that it often feels like to control your health and regain energy. On top of this, we see our location in the heart of Europe as an attractive opportunity to see a little more of the world as you seek out treatment.

Sources:

[1] Gunnars, Kris. “Leptin and Leptin Resistance: Everything You Need to Know.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 4 Dec. 2018, www.healthline.com/nutrition/leptin-101. 

[2] Pérez-Pérez, Antonio, et al. “Role of Leptin in Inflammation and Vice Versa.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 21, no. 16, 16 Aug. 2020, p. 5887., doi:10.3390/ijms21165887. 

[3] Yong, Ed. “Fat Cell Number Is Set in Childhood and Stays Constant in Adulthood.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 4 May 2008, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2008/05/04/fat-cell-number-....

[4] Gunnars, Ibid.