LEPTIN ‘ADIPOKINES’ ONE OF THE 3 OF YOUR FAT HORMONES
WHAT ARE THE OTHER TWO?
• Leptin, adiponectin and resistin are the three of the most important hormones released by your fat cells. They not only influence your metabolism, but they also interact with your five health defense systems –angiogenesis, regeneration, microbiome, DNA protection
and immunity.
WHAT IS LEPTIN KNOWN FOR?
Leptin is known as the satiety hormone!
It is an appetite suppressant that tells you to slow down and stop eating.
Leptin’s influence on appetite is due to a direct chemical connection between your body fat and your brain.
Under normal circumstances, when Leptin is released into your bloodstream, it travels to the command centre of your brain, the HYPOTHALAMUS
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE HYPOTHALAMUS?
• The hormone acts on the circuitry of nerves in your brain’s hunger centre, the orexigenic neurons.
• These are the neurons responsible for turning on your appetite.
• Leptin lowers the activity of these neurons, so you feel less hungry.
• To reinforce this effect, Leptin also triggers your brain to produce special proteins that are anorexigenic, which actively shuts off your appetite. By turning down your appetites on switch and then hitting the off switch, leptin ensures that you
will lose the urge to eat for several hours.
W H E N YO U A R E N O T E AT I N G – FASTING
Your body senses it is between mealtimes, so it releases fuel for energy to keep operations running.
Your metabolism revs up and moves the fuel in your fat out of storage mode and sends it into the bloodstream as energy for your organs. As the fat burns down its fuel, it releases less Leptin, so your brain’s appetite centre swings back up, and you start to feel like eating again.
IMMUNE SYSTEM AND LEPTIN
- At healthy levels, Leptin also activates your immune defenses. When your body cannot make sufficient amounts of Leptin, you are more susceptible to infection.
• The hormone helps your immune system spring into action to fight bacteria and viruses.
• Leptin guides your immune system when it needs to mount a proper inflammatory response after an injury.
• At the same time, Leptin helps your immune system unleash T cells against infection. Your T cells release chemicals called Cytokines that destroy any invaders that have penetrated your body.
• In yet another useful inflammatory role, Leptin instructs your immune system to produce protective antibodies
L E P T I N A N D YO U R H E A RT
• Leptin protects your heart and cardiovascular system.
• The hormone tells your blood vessels to dilate in order to improve blood flow to your organs.
• It activates your angiogenesis defense system to grow new blood vessels and improves your circulation.
• Leptin also protects the cellular lining of your blood vessels, the vascular endothelium, and it even helps your heart muscle to stay in shape, literally!!!
A STUDY
• As you age and the heart muscle weakens, your heart starts to lose its shape and become floppy and wider in diameter.
• In a study of 432 subjects, researchers from the Framingham Heart Study, Boston University, and Tufts University found that people with higher blood levels of leptin continued to preserve more normal dimensions of their heart as they aged.
DISCLAIMER
• This presentation does not provide medical advice. The
information, including but not limited to text, graphics,
images and other material contained in the presentation are
for informational purposes only.
• No material in this presentation is intended to be a substitute
for professional medical advise, diagnosis or treatment. Always
seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health
care provider with any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a
new health care regime, and never disregard professional
medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something
you have seen in the presentation.
