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Leptin and Cortisol

May 30, 2011 | By Angela Ogunjimi
Leptin and Cortisol
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What scientists are learning about leptin and cortisol is beginning to unveil the complex interactions between appetite, hunger, sleep, stress and weight. No longer is the equation simply a matter of calories in and calories out. These two hormones can both be responsible for holding on to weight and helping mobilize your body to expend energy. Moreover, leptin can affect the release of cortisol, and cortisol can affect the release of leptin. What's known for sure is that a good diet, physical activity and proper rest help ensure proper levels of leptin and cortisol. If you're having trouble losing weight, talk to your doctor about the need to check these hormones.

Leptin

Leptin is a protein hormone that is released by your fat tissue while you are sleeping. It connects with receptors in your brain and in your gut to perform a number of functions, all of which are designed to maintain your energy balance. Most notably, leptin is known as the satisfaction hormone because after you eat, it tells your brain, "Enough," and dials back your appetite. Leptin and its receptors also keep tabs on the amount of calories you have stored and can increase your calorie burning to keep your weight stable. Leptin was only discovered in the mid-1990s by Rockefeller University scientists, and research is still in its infancy. Scientists once thought that leptin was a major player only in treating obesity, but researchers have expanded into areas like diabetes, reproduction and Alzheimer's disease.

Cortisol

Cortisol is your stress hormone, but don't think of that as a bad thing. It's really a rather helpful adaptive tool. It is secreted by your adrenal gland in response to circumstances --- internal and external --- that are perceived as dangerous or threatening. Some evidence suggests that high levels of cortisol are responsible for depositing a great deal of fat around the midsections of women. Researchers from the University of New Mexico report that in addition to stress, fasting, eating, exercising and waking up cause the release of cortisol. The hormone also influences whether your body will use carbs, protein or fat in response to the demands placed on the body, and it often regulates energy from mobilizing fat and moving it from one location to another. Like leptin, cortisol works in concert with your brain to do its job.

Connections

Belgian researchers reporting in the November 2004 "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" wrote that leptin levels and cortisol levels often have an inverse relationship, based on the results of their study investigating the intersection between appetite, hunger, sleep and stress. When their participants were well rested, cortisol levels were low and leptin levels were described as "optimal." When their sleep was limited, cortisol increased and leptin levels fell. Spanish researchers publishing in the journal "Pituitary" wrote that both hormones act on each other. Leptin is involved in the release of cortisol, but cortisol and related hormones act on the fat cells that secrete leptin. However, obesity can interfere with the rather complicated way this process works.

Improve Leptin and Cortisol Naturally

Sleep appears to be a major mediator of both cortisol and leptin. Getting enough rest may therefore help keep both hormones at optimal levels. In addition, losing weight, eating better and getting more physical activity all help improve leptin sensitivity. Stress management strategies may also help control cortisol. The University of New Mexico researchers recommend aerobic and anaerobic exercise as effective stress managers. Yoga, tai chi and meditation can also help.

References

Article reviewed by TimDog Last updated on: May 30, 2011

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