Leptin is a hormone that helps regulate satisfaction with the amount of food consumed. When functioning at normal levels, it signals your brain when to stop eating. With decreased leptin levels or abnormal function, overeating is typical because there is no noticeable feeling of fullness. Created by Byron Richards, the Leptin Diet advises you on when and what to eat to help restore normal leptin performance.
Discovery of Leptin
Leptin was discovered in 1994 as scientists at Rockefeller University isolated a protein hormone lacking in obese mice. They determined the hormone leptin informs the brain of the level of fat stores in the body, which then signals that the stomach is full. In one group of obese mice, leptin levels were low, indicating they were unable to determine their own level of satiety, resulting in overeating and an accumulation of excess weight.
Leptin Resistance
Another group of obese mice in the Rockefeller University study had high leptin levels. Scientists discovered this group of mice possessed defective leptin receptors, so although they had sufficient leptin, their bodies were not effectively receiving the message. An additional study by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey further confirmed that high fat diets contributed to the development of leptin resistance in obese-prone rats. These two studies indicate both genetics and environmental factors contribute to obesity through a disrupted leptin process.
Restoring Normal Function
With altered leptin function, the body cannot successfully signal your brain when it is time to stop eating. Byron Richards, nutritionist and author of "The Leptin Diet", suggests resisting after-dinner snacking to restore natural leptin function. By finishing dinner three hours before going to bed and allowing 11 to 12 hours between the evening meal and breakfast, leptin levels have the opportunity to return to their normal 24-hour cycle. Eating three normal-sized meals per day and allowing five to six hours between meals allows for a similar regulatory process throughout the day. Snacking creates erratic leptin levels, preventing the body's natural process, which can lead to the development of leptin resistance.
Meal Planning
Richards also stresses the importance of eating a breakfast containing protein, which decreases mid-morning hunger and allows you to feel full longer. This will make it easier to eat only three meals per day, without snacking. In addition, carbohydrates are an important part of a balanced diet, but they are easy fuel for the body. Too many carbohydrates means the body will use recent meals as quick energy, but then will never use reserved fat stores, thereby hindering weight-loss efforts.
A Different Approach
Leptin resistance has presented a challenge to scientists because simply adding a supplement to increase leptin levels has not been proven effective if the body is not communicating properly. To help create this balance in the body without the uses of supplements, the Leptin Diet addresses when to eat and what to eat in order to restore normal function. Most diets involve deprivation and borderline starvation, but the Leptin Diet creates sustainable lifestyle changes through efficient food intake.
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