Sources of Leptin
Leptin, named for the Greek leptos, meaning "thin," is an appetite-suppressing hormone discovered in 1994 by researchers at Rockefeller University studying obese mice. Leptin is found in the obese (ob) gene and also is secreted in small amounts by cells in the stomach, the placenta, the skin and the mucous membranes that communicate with the skin.
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How it Works
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Leptin, a hormone, counters appetite stimulants secreted by the stomach and hypothalamus, the part of the brain whose functions include the control of metabolic processes. Leptin also counters anandamid, a substance in the brain that binds to THC, the active ingredient of cannabis--hence, the "munchies" experienced by marijuana smokers. Leptin promotes the effects of alpha-MSH, a hormone that suppresses appetite.
The Primary Source of Leptin
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The human body is the primary source of leptin. It is produced internally by fat cells, not added to the body through outside sources.
Researchers believe leptin signals the brain that there is fat on the body, so a person should eat less and lose weight. However, leptin apparently mutates in some people, and their brains don't receive the signal.
A failure by leptin to suppress appetite causes obesity and sometimes diabetes.
There are no simple dietary sources of leptin in the sense one can increase the hormone by eating specific types of meat, fruit or vegetables.
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Sources of Research Leptin
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Injections of leptin used in clinical research are obtained from human placenta.
A study of 54 people of normal weight and 73 obese people injected with leptin was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study concluded there was little weight loss associated with injections of leptin except in a minority of cases at the highest doses. In short, adding leptin doesn't automatically result in weight loss.
Leptin Diets
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Leptin diets posted on the Internet purport to "manage" leptin, not add it to your system by giving you dietary sources to obtain more. The details of exactly how these diets manage leptin are unclear.
The paradox is that leptin tells the body to lose weight, but fat cells are what produces leptin. The problem is not that some people do not have enough leptin in their bodies and therefore gain weight; it is that the leptin in their bodies doesn't work.
Tip
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The amount of leptin produced by a body varies greatly, often having little to do with weight. Obese people should not conclude that if they can increase the leptin in their bodies, they will lose weight.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of psyberartist
