Leptin is one of the first fat-cell derived hormones to be discovered. The hormone Leptin plays a major role in the body's ability to burn fat by regulating appetite, hunger and metabolism. Leptin comes from cells in the fat tissue and it sends messages to the hypothalamus in the brain to start curbing appetite, making the feeling of being hungry dissipate, and increasing the speed of metabolism which is a part in the fat burning process.
There are foods that contain leptin, but leptin consumed does not fight leptin Resistance or the sensitivity to leptin. In fact, when it is consumed, it goes straight to the blood stream, but you wouldn't want too much leptin in your system, because having high levels of Leptin in the blood stream is very dangerous. It would be best if the body just creates its own leptin.
There are foods that cause the body to be sensitive to leptin and cause it to work more efficiently in the body. Some of these foods are fish, beans (lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans), and also vegetables. Anti-inflammatory foods such as vegetables and fruits will help the body fight resistance to Leptin.
Being active in a cardiovascular activity, like walking, even if it's just 30 minutes a day, can cause Leptin that was stored in the cells to be released to the bloodstream. Lifting weights causes an increase in muscle mass, which is another way to release Leptin in the system.
Another way to get your leptin levels to start working is by eating specific foods during certain times of the day.
Women produce more of the hormone leptin, and the condition "Leptin Resistance" seems to be more prevalent among women, which slows this hormone's ability to burn fat to its potential, almost to an incredible halt. Also, when dieting, a woman's leptin levels drops, causing the metabolism to slow down. The woman's body tends to go into starvation mode, causing the body to want to hold onto every calorie possible, and this can happen when even the slightest drop of leptin level in the body's system. This is one of the many reasons that a woman's diet should be slightly different than what a man's diet would be.
By understanding that making the body sensitive to leptin and that a decrease in sensitivity to the hormone leptin causes it to fail to work at its full potential, women would understand how to combat the natural resistance and get their Leptin hormone to send signals to the brain the way it was meant to function.
