Hormones are chemicals that are released by the endocrine system to regulate different functions in your body. Hormones can be categorized as either “appetite hormones” or “metabolic hormones”. Appetite Hormones, such as Ghrelin and Leptin, control hunger. Metabolic Hormone levels dictate how much energy is stored in fat cells and how many calories you burn during a day. Hormones that regulate your weight may include Ghrelin, Leptin, Thyroid Hormone and Cortisol.
Meal timing is an important factor in regulating appetite hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. When you eat can affect when these hunger hormones are released into the bloodstream, which means eating late at night or skipping breakfast will cause your levels of hunger hormones to spike–leading you to overeat and pack on pounds.
Metabolic Hormones such as thyroid hormone, cortisol, and insulin affect how many calories are stored in fat cells during the day. The majority of metabolic Hormones need carbohydrates to work properly. As soon as carbs stop entering the body, Hormones like insulin and cortisol increase, while Hormone levels of Thyroid hormone go down.
Fat is stored when Hormones such as leptin are produced in high quantities by fat cells; this means that a person may experience weight gain if their appetite Hormones or Metabolic Hormones are out of balance. Thyroid Hormone can help you lose weight while Cortisol causes you to gain weight, however they both work in a delicate balance with Metabolic Hormones that need carbohydrates for them to function properly.
Hormones that control our Wight
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that gets secreted from the beta cells of your pancreas. It creates it in small amounts throughout the day and larger ones after meals. Insulin allows blood sugar to enter into our cell for energy, or storage depending on what they need at that time; it also stores fat from food we eat so you can use it later as energy.
Leptin
Leptin is the hormone that tells our brain when we have had enough to eat. When people are overweight or obese, they usually have very high levels of leptin in their blood (sometimes 4 times higher than those who are not). The only problem with this system is if obesity has caused a condition called “leptin resistance”. Leptin inhibits appetite and helps prevent overeating; however, in some cases it doesn’t work as expected.
Ghrelin
Ghrelin is the Hormone responsible for signaling hunger in a person’s brain so they know whether or not their stomach is empty; this Hormone is also released in response to Hormones like Leptin and Ghrelin.
Cortisol
One of the hormones that may control obesity is cortisol, which can be released during stress or as a reaction to cold temperatures. Cortisol can also block the release of insulin, which influences bodyweight due to its role in controlling blood sugar levels. When your cortisol levels are high over time because you experience chronic stress, your body produces more insulin than it needs, which can lead to weight gain. Hormones like cortisol and insulin work in a delicate balance with metabolic hormones that need carbohydrates for them to function properly.
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Estrogen
Estrogen is a hormone that mainly affects the female reproductive system and fat storage. It can be produced by both ovaries, but also from other sources such as adipose tissue (fat cells). Very high or low levels of estrogen may lead to weight gain depending on age, action of other hormones in your body, and overall health status.
Conclusion
Hormones can be a great way to understand and control weight. We know it’s not easy, but if you want the best for yourself, your family, or just enjoy being healthy then hormones are worth investigating. Let us help you get started with these helpful tips on how to use hormone knowledge in your life today! Contact our team of experts today so we can give you some personalized advice that will work for you specifically. What is one thing YOU have found useful about understanding hormones?
