The Hormones of Fat Loss

[PhotoNut 7]

I was researching hormones stored in fat cells because of a comment that 3loves made on Yoda's "Anyone IRRITABLE" thread. I came across this article and thought it might be helpful to many, so here it is.

The Hormones of Fat Loss

by author Lorna Vanderhaeghe, BSc

By understanding how hormones such as insulin, thyroid, serotonin, leptin, and cortisol work, we can regulate our weight more effectively. Like many readers of alive, one of your New Year’s resolutions may have been to lose a few pounds. If you’ve already eaten your way through January, you’re not alone. Long-term studies show that one to two-thirds of weight lost through dieting is regained within one year. Almost all weight is regained within five years - disheartening information if you’re trying to lose weight by restricting calories.

Yet we know that packing around too many pounds can lead to cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, gastric reflux, and many other health complications. Most people lose weight to fit into a smaller clothing size, but being fat takes years off our lives and the emotional, physical, and societal costs are exorbitant.

I spent most of 2003 writing a book on fat loss. While wading through references, I was excited by research showing that not only the food we eat but certain hormones, including insulin, thyroid, serotonin, leptin, and cortisol, determine whether we are skinny or fat. By understanding how these hormones work we can regulate our waist size more effectively.

Sour Side of Insulin

High levels of insulin may contribute to our fatness. Insulin, the blood sugar regulator, is pumped out in excessive amounts as it tries to reduce the abnormally high blood sugar that results from a high carbohydrate, low Protein diet. We inevitably gain weight and become fat, and our cells become resistant to insulin and fat loss.

Cortisol

High insulin also increases the secretion of cortisol, our stress hormone. High cortisol causes a corresponding drop in the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which, among other actions, helps to increase muscle mass. More muscle mass is needed for fat loss, as it increases fat burning and reduce insulin.

Chronic stress also activates all fat cells to store fat. The central fat cells, found mainly deep in the abdominal wall, have four times the cortisol receptors on their cell membranes. Each time we are stressed the cortisol-fat mechanism turns on and our body stores more fat.

Body Fat and Leptin

Another hormone - leptin, produced by body fat - is critical in telling the body when to eat and when we are satisfied. Scientists have learned that in some people the message of satiety is not heard and fat cells send out more and more leptin, causing resistance to leptin, increased food cravings, and the desire to continue eating. In other people, leptin levels are low due to zinc deficiency.

Serotonin Satisfaction

The hormone serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain made from the amino acids found in Proteins, is also involved in signalling satisfaction. Low serotonin levels cause depression, obesity, lethargy, a preference for refined carbohydrates, and overeating because the brain senses it is starving. A diet that restricts protein-rich calories causes serotonin levels to plummet. People who are hyper-secretors of cortisol also exhibit suppressed serotonin levels.

Thyroid to Go

Low thyroid - called hypothyroidism - affects approximately 30 percent of the population in Canada. Low thyroid reduces our fat burning rate and causes fatigue, inhibiting energy levels.

Scientists have unlocked the secret to fighting fat. Diets don’t work. We must eat to ensure healthy hormones, eat less, walk, and laugh more.

And here is a bit of another related article about Leptin:

Appetite control occurs in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and includes the hunger and satiety centers. (Satiety means the body has enough food). The centers respond to levels of sugar and amino acids in the blood and hormone signals from the fat cells. Fat releases a hormone called leptin that turns off hunger and promotes satiety. Dr. William Banks and colleagues from the VA Medical Center in St. Louis and Saint Louis University found that high levels of blood fats (triglycerides) block the signal from leptin, which promotes overeating.

Our genes are programmed to protect us against starvation, not overeating. Hungry people increase blood fat levels as they break down fat stores for energy. This blocks leptin, which maintains hunger and search for food.

Obese people also have high levels of blood fats, which prevent satiety and promote overeating. This study showed that vegetable fats did not block leptin, but animal fats did. Eating low-fat diet helped leptin work better in obese mice.

More:

1st Article: http://www.alive.com/1686a5a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=150

2nd Article: http://weight-loss.womendiary.net/

[MoOrLess 0]

Thanks for sharing this P'Nut! It confirms what my doctor has told me - though hard to understand it all. I DO know that my body definitely has issues with insulin -- this article helped me understand it even more - much appreciated. High Protein - way less carbs is definitely a struggle for me - I have NEVER been a big meat eater so I have to get creative here and find better protein sources that I will actually eat! That said, your challenge for the GFG Club for May is a great jump-start for me to turn around the way I eat! I actually started today - a day early! I've even walked and counted Water intake already and ate no sugar or flour - woo hoo! It is one awesome challenge!

[3loves 0]

Thank you Susan!! :clap2: This is what I needed. I knew there was something to this, but didn't know or understand the details. This is great info. I need to read it again when the kids aren't screaming so I can absorb more of it. Thanks again!! :biggrin1:

[TheWomanWithin 0]

What a great article, puts together tons of info I have read/heard over the years.

Speaking of Cortisol, anyone ever try Cortislim?

About 18 years ago, a bookkeeper I worked with used to hit tap her chest in the center to stimulate her hypothalmus?

I thought this was weird so I asked her why? She said her doctor told her to do this 5 times a day to help her. I had no clue with what and didn't think of that word until I read this.

Isn't serotonin a chemical you get from the sun or am I thinking of something else? Been a busy day so my brain might be goo at this point.

[Mvpo8961 1]

UUUMMMMM your hypothalamus is in your brain not your chest. M

[TheWomanWithin 0]

Hmmm wonder what she did that she tapped the center of her chest? lol who knows it's been so many years ago I can't remember - is there another gland that is stimulated by doing this or a gland with similar spelling? I have to go research that now - it's going to bug the heck out of me.

[Yoda 0]

Interesting article indeed. Sad how everything can be such a viscious cycle.....grrrrr.

Tks for sharing.

[Yoda 0]

Lisa,

Maybe the lady who would thunk her chest thought she was Tarzan???!!!

Hey...it could happen!

[TheWomanWithin 0]

rofl for Halloween she dressed up like Betty Rubble (sp) in a leopard print half shoulder dress thing - kind of like Tarzanwear hehehe

[Yoda 0]

rofl for Halloween she dressed up like Betty Rubble (sp) in a leopard print half shoulder dress thing - kind of like Tarzanwear hehehe

Well, there ya have it then!!!

(ummmm, not that I have anything against Tarzan; he was afterall, one of my many heros when I was a wee thing).....ahh, that good ol' Johnny W.

[PhotoNut 7]

Wow Yoda.. you just showed your age!

Oh.. umm.. err.. Johnny who?? *grins*

Hm, tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it. I'll give me until 9am before that's shot to hell. *laughs*

[Yoda 0]

LOL @ Photo! I know that from my dad mostly! Reruns and all!

I'm turning 42 in a few months though! Have to pinch myself when I say that though!

I lived in Germany in the late 60s and one of the only TV stations we got played Tarzan all the time....funny...his tarzan yell sounds the same in German!

[Dragonwillow 0]

The original tarzen....sombody Barker, is a distant relative of mine.....my one brush we fame. LOL Well that and John Adams who originally decided the atom was a round cell or something like that. I have his silverwear....he was some relative of my grandmothers.

I think I'm getting some of the side effects of having all my different vitimans and hormones out of wack. Hopefully now that they have tweaked my medicine and prescribed vitimans I'll start seeing the scale move again?