Can't Stop Eating? Leptin Hormones

deksgrl

In the time I have been on MFP, more than a year, I have heard a bit about the different hormones that affect hunger and weight loss. Leptin, Ghrelin and Cortisol.

But here is a personal experience that really brought this to the forefront for me. Over the holidays, I was consuming a lot more high fructose corn syrup than I have been in a long time. Last night, I did not want to stop eating. I had dinner. I even had second helpings. My body felt really full but I wanted to eat more. I said to a family member, "this is really weird, I'm soooo full but I just want to keep eating." I remember feeling that way in the past, before MFP, and I thought it was weird that I was feeling it again. So I thought about what was different in my diet lately, and the answer is a lot of soda pop and juices with High Fructose Corn Syrup.

So, what is this Leptin hormone and what does the high fructose have to do with it, and why did that make me want to eat more even though I was full? Well, Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain that you are full, stop eating. When you have too much of this, it creates leptin resistance, where the leptin cannot cross the barrier to the brain, the brain does not get the message to stop eating. Basically, it makes you overeat, a lot. High Fructose Corn Syrup dramatically raises Leptin.

Crash diets lower your leptin significantly and there is not enough to tell your brain to stop eating. In addition to making you lethargic, this makes it very difficult to stay on a crash diet. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to give your body time to adjust to the new, lowered leptin level, so it sets that as “normal” and you feel full when you’re supposed to.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids actually increase Leptin activity and sensitivity, so eat your fish and healthy fats. Sleep raises your leptin.

So these are all reasons why they tell you to reduce processed sugar, get your Omega 3, get proper sleep, but eat enough calories so that you are not crashing your hormones.

The other hormones I mentioned are Ghrelin (this is the hormone that stimulates hunger), and Cortisol is a stress hormone which impedes weight loss (when you cut calories too much and exercise you create stress on your body and it produces excess cortisol).

Healthy weight loss is not about eating as little as possible, it is about getting the right amount of the right foods so that your body can operate properly to drop the extra weight.

Helloitsdan

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18703413

SideSteel

High Fructose Corn Syrup dramatically raises Leptin.

I'm just curious, where are you getting the above info?

Helloitsdan

I dont think it raises leptin levels.
A few of the studies ive read says it possibly causes a resistance to leptin.

Kellyeee2013

In a study that was done (learned this is an intro to psyc course way back) there was a group of subjects that had been "dieting" and a group that had not been. Both groups went to a buffet/party/potluck type thing and those who had been dieting ate more food than those who were not because they had a hard time not bingeing. So, sort of the same concept.

SideSteel

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18703413

It's important to look at dose in the above study and consider that they fed these rats a diet of 60% fructose. That dose is far beyond what any normal human would consume.

EDIT: This is one of the many issues with how Lustig twists and turns his research too. Take a study using a completely non-applicable dose and then make a "fructose is the debil" claim about much lower doses. Fortunately it doesn't work that way.

Lyle's take on HFCS in general, where the above rat study is briefly mentioned in it's own section:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/straight-talk-about-high-fructose-corn-syrup-what-it-is-and-what-it-aint-research-review.html

SideSteel

I dont think it raises leptin levels.
A few of the studies ive read says it possibly causes a resistance to leptin.

If there's any study indicating leptin resistance at fructose doses that even remotely resemble normal human consumption then I think we may have cause for concern. (Additionally, please show me so I can learn and possibly change my position on this).

SGT_Reg

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130106145622.htm

Unrelated topic....Tell me what you think about this. It looks like they found another excuse for obese people to be obese.

Acg67

So I thought about what was different in my diet lately, and the answer is a lot of soda pop and juices with High Fructose Corn Syrup.

FredDoyle

I dont think it raises leptin levels.
A few of the studies ive read says it possibly causes a resistance to leptin.

According to that link it's fructose induced leptin resistance. ie. fructose from any source.

Helloitsdan

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18703413

It's important to look at dose in the above study and consider that they fed these rats a diet of 60% fructose. That dose is far beyond what any normal human would consume.

EDIT: This is one of the many issues with how Lustig twists and turns his research too. Take a study using a completely non-applicable dose and then make a "fructose is the debil" claim about much lower doses. Fortunately it doesn't work that way.

Lyle's take on HFCS in general, where the above rat study is briefly mentioned in it's own section:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/straight-talk-about-high-fructose-corn-syrup-what-it-is-and-what-it-aint-research-review.html

2 thumbs up!

deksgrl

So, acg67, you think there is a different cause to what I experienced? If so, what?

SideSteel

.

cmacphee3

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130106145622.htm

Unrelated topic....Tell me what you think about this. It looks like they found another excuse for obese people to be obese.

I found this interesting, and not as an excuse to be/stay fat. Thank you for sharing.

FredDoyle

Yes, just clarifying that it isn't HFCS per se.

Acg67

So, acg67, you think there is a different cause to what I experienced? If so, what?

Do you know what post hoc ergo propter hoc is?

myofibril

I don't think it is leptin more so than the fact that foods containing HFCS are generally highly palatable and trigger "pleasure" responses such as the release of dopamine meaning you are more likely to over consume.

Reminds me of that song by the Dandy Warhols "Not if you were the last junkie on earth".

We all like getting high one way or another.

Which reminds me of a song by Cypress Hill....

Helloitsdan

"after this, therefore because of this"

SideSteel

I think it's possible that you were simply spiking and lowering blood glucose somewhat rapidly and the lowering of it could trigger hunger signals.

deksgrl

So, acg67, you think there is a different cause to what I experienced? If so, what?

Do you know what post hoc ergo propter hoc is?

Coincidental correlation.

Acg67

So, acg67, you think there is a different cause to what I experienced? If so, what?

Do you know what post hoc ergo propter hoc is?

Coincidental correlation.

And nothing else changed but you drank some soda, all other confounders are accounted for?

EvgeniZyntx

Sometimes wikipedia is rather well written:

Although leptin reduces appetite as a circulating signal, obese individuals generally exhibit an unusually high circulating concentration of leptin.[59] These people are said to be resistant to the effects of leptin, in much the same way that people with type 2 diabetes are resistant to the effects of insulin. The sustained high concentrations of leptin from the enlarged adipose stores result in leptin desensitization. The pathway of leptin control in obese people might be flawed at some point, so the body does not adequately receive the satiety feeling subsequent to eating.

Some researchers attempted to explain the failure of leptin to prevent obesity in modern humans as a metabolic disorder, possibly caused by a specific nutrient or a combination of nutrients not present or uncommon in the prehistoric diet. Some proposed "villain" nutrients include lectins[60] and fructose.[61]

A signal-to-noise ratio theory has been proposed to explain the phenomenon of leptin resistance.[39] In healthy individuals, baseline leptin levels are between 1 and 5 ng/dl in men and 7 and 13 ng/dl in women.[39] A large intake of calories triggers a leptin response that reduces hunger, thereby preventing an overload of the inflammatory response induced by caloric intake. In obese individuals, the leptin response to caloric intake is theorized to be blunted due to chronic, low-grade hyperleptinemia, depressing the signal-to-noise ratio such that acute leptin responses have less of a physiological effect on the body.

Although leptin resistance is sometimes described as a metabolic disorder that contributes to obesity, similar to the way insulin resistance is sometimes described as a metabolic disorder that has the potential to progress into the type 2 diabetes, it is not certain that it is true in most cases. The mere fact that leptin resistance is extremely common in obese individuals suggests it may simply be an adaptation to excess body weight. The major physiological role of leptin is suggested to be not as a “satiety signal” to prevent obesity in times of energy excess, but as a “starvation signal” to maintain adequate fat stores for survival during times of energy deficit,[62][63] and leptin resistance in overweight individuals is the standard feature of mammalian physiology, which possibly confers a survival advantage.[64]

A different form of leptin resistance (in combination with insulin resistance and weight gain) easily arises in laboratory animals (such as rats), as soon as they are given unlimited (ad libitum) access to palatable, energy-dense foods,[65] and it is reversed when these animals are put back on low energy-density chow.[66] That, too, may have an evolutionary advantage: "the ability to efficiently store energy during periods of sporadic feast represented a survival advantage in ancestral societies subjected to periods of starvation."[67] The combination of two mechanisms (one, which temporarily suspends leptin action when presented with excess of high-quality food, and the other, which blunts the processes that could drive the body weight back to "normal"), could explain the current obesity epidemic without invoking any metabolic disorders or "villain" nutrients.

One can see the references here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin#Obesity_and_leptin_resistance

deksgrl

So, acg67, you think there is a different cause to what I experienced? If so, what?

Do you know what post hoc ergo propter hoc is?

Coincidental correlation.

And nothing else changed but you drank some soda, all other confounders are accounted for?

Perhaps more sugar all around, not just HFCS. I've been tracking here for 15 months, and I haven't had that response, it was out of the ordinary.

marsellient

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18703413
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130106145622.htm

Even though I find these difficult to read (not a science type, and it's early ) I appreciate the fact that there are people here who can cite these so easily. Thank you.

OP, here's what I know about ME (and only me, but maybe you, too?) and I was made aware of it over the holidays once again: When I eat sweets, I want more. I mean really, really want more. I never crave sweets, but if I have one cookie or something, I find it extremely difficult to have just one. I didn't worry about it too much during the holidays and the first day I decided to get back to logging and healthier eating was hell. Now... no problem. Now maybe this is due to some hormone or other. I don't really care. I know what I have to do...stay away from the stuff. I've known this for over 30 years about myself. I don't have this response when I eat fruit, but I not terribly fond of it either. My point is to get to know yourself, and how you respond to food and act accordingly. Good luck.

Acg67

So, acg67, you think there is a different cause to what I experienced? If so, what?

Do you know what post hoc ergo propter hoc is?

Here is the latest study making rounds, can you guess how much fructose subjects consumed?

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1555133#RESULTS

Coincidental correlation.

And nothing else changed but you drank some soda, all other confounders are accounted for?

Perhaps more sugar all around, not just HFCS. I've been tracking here for 15 months, and I haven't had that response, it was out of the ordinary.

ALW65

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18703413
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130106145622.htm

Even though I find these difficult to read (not a science type, and it's early ) I appreciate the fact that there are people here who can cite these so easily. Thank you.

OP, here's what I know about ME (and only me, but maybe you, too?) and I was made aware of it over the holidays once again: When I eat sweets, I want more. I mean really, really want more. I never crave sweets, but if I have one cookie or something, I find it extremely difficult to have just one. I didn't worry about it too much during the holidays and the first day I decided to get back to logging and healthier eating was hell. Now... no problem. Now maybe this is due to some hormone or other. I don't really care. I know what I have to do...stay away from the stuff. I've known this for over 30 years about myself. I don't have this response when I eat fruit, but I not terribly fond of it either. My point is to get to know yourself, and how you respond to food and act accordingly. Good luck.

I agree that while research and science are invaluable, we still have to be in tune with our bodies and brains. I know I have conditioned responses that may or may not correlate with published research - if I'm aggravated or overwhelmed, I want a Pepsi/Coke with lots of lemon and I want it NOW! After that, I'd like 6 more please (at least I get more polite as I go along). Although I still haven't mastered ignoring cravings and overindulging, I do think awareness of what we're doing is the first step in making better choices. This can only lead us towards better health and those elusive bodies we're all hoping for.

Keep at it deksgirl - we're in it for the long haul :flowerforyou:

FredDoyle

Sometimes wikipedia is rather well written:



One can see the references here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin#Obesity_and_leptin_resistance

Interesting. Sounds reasonable.

ALW65

Stupid double posts

ArroganceInStep

I just want to point out that, whatever the circumstance, you don't suddenly develop a hormone resistance in a month. It takes chronic overdoses (as far as I know) to cause that sort of thing.

Otherwise why aren't all kids diabetic for a week or two after Halloween? Hell, why am I not a diabetic yet? I steal all the good candies and keep them for myself and pass out all the crap I don't want to eat when kids come to my house trick or treating.

WendyTerry420

I just want to point out that, whatever the circumstance, you don't suddenly develop a hormone resistance in a month. It takes chronic overdoses (as far as I know) to cause that sort of thing.

Otherwise why aren't all kids diabetic for a week or two after Halloween? Hell, why am I not a diabetic yet? I steal all the good candies and keep them for myself and pass out all the crap I don't want to eat when kids come to my house trick or treating.

:drinker:


That's the only way to do it right, imho.

deksgrl

I think it's possible that you were simply spiking and lowering blood glucose somewhat rapidly and the lowering of it could trigger hunger signals.

Well, more than normal sugary stuff over the weekend. Then Monday back to normal diet, healthier choices, normal amount of food during the day up until dinner, the only sugar was the amount I normally take in coffee every day. Two plates of dinner, no dessert, but really really wanted to eat more. Stomach felt full but the desire to eat a 3rd plate of food. I wouldn't think that my blood glucose would be dropping at that point. I'm not on a VLCD, I am about 10 pounds from my goal weight so I'm not in a very big cut. Normally I get shaky and weak when I haven't eaten and glucose was dropping, totally different feeling here of being stuffed but wanting more food.