How to Stimulate the Leptin Response

Leptin is a protein hormone that regulates energy intake and energy expenditure, monitors metabolism and appetite and influences body weight. Leptin tells the brain that the body has eaten enough. This hormone is secreted mainly by the adipose or fat cells of the body---the greater the amount of fat, the more leptin is produced. Although obese people do not appear to respond to leptin, this protein triggers reduction of food intake and consequently loss of body weight in people who are not obese.

Things You'll Need

• Glucocorticoids
• Insulin
• Estrogen
• Hexosamines
• Carbohydrate meal

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Instructions

Instructions

• 1

  Consider using glucocorticoids. Cortisol, also called hydrocortisone, is the most essential glucocorticoid found in humans and stimulates the production of leptin. It results in a corresponding decrease in the amount of food consumed and consequently, a lower body weight.

• 2

  Ask your doctor about using insulin. The production of leptin follows increases in insulin as a response to eating. Conversely, leptin decrease follows reductions in insulin during a period of fasting.

• 3

  Consider using estrogen, as it stimulates leptin production in the adipose tissue of humans. Estrogen treatment also results in the reduction of food intake and body fat. While estrogen has this effect, testosterone is more passive, with leptin limiting its production.

• 4

  Ask your doctor about the possibility of using hexosamines. Hexosamine biosynthesis triggers increased leptin release in human subcutaneous adipocytes, the cells that make up adipose tissue, which stores energy as fat.

• 5

  Eat a carbohydrate meal. A meal that comprises carbohydrates induces higher levels of leptin compared to a fat-based meal.