Your Hunger Hormones & How To Keep Them Balanced

If you have been following me for any amount of time you know that I have talked a lot about Insulin, also known as our fat storage hormone. But today, we are going to talk a little bit about some of our hunger hormones as they join in alongside insulin to have a big impact on our overall metabolic health. Hang in there because hormones can get a little “science-y”, but I promise it will be worth it!

Leptin (known as the satiety hormone) and ghrelin (known as the hunger hormone) both play a role in our overall metabolic health and go a long way to regulating our appetite, our weight, and our energy levels. Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”, is made in the stomach and when the stomach is empty it acts on the brain to stimulate appetite – urging us to seek food/fuel. Once we have eaten and our stomach is full and stretched, ghrelin drops, and leptin is produced by fat cells to notify the brain that there is enough fat in storage and to stop eating.  When these hormones function optimally, they help prevent overeating and contribute to weight management. However, when imbalanced, abnormal ghrelin and leptin levels can lead to dysregulated appetite control and could result in overeating and subsequent metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Some research has shown that obesity can be linked to the brain not receiving the signal that ghrelin is low and to stop eating, and that the brain is not triggered to recognize leptin when present. Both problems would obviously exacerbate overeating which then in turn, keeps insulin levels high and constantly circulating in the body.  

Although ghrelin and leptin are typically thought of as the main hunger hormones, there are a few others worth mentioning today (you know, just to drive the message home). Glucagon like peptide one (GLP-1) (made by our bodies, not the controversial prescription medication) is produced and released when food enters the intestines and tells our brain that we are full. Chronic inflammation from the wrong diet reduces production of this hormone which can affect signaling. It’s not the only other hormone that can be messed up either.

Peptide YY is another hormone in the gastrointestinal tract that helps regulate your appetite. However, it has been shown to be impaired by insulin resistance (which as you may remember is caused by constantly having insulin circulating in the body and having frequent blood sugar spikes – a result of poor diet).

As if all of that is not enough, cortisol, the stress hormone, is produced by the adrenal glands when the body senses stress. Chronically high levels can lead to overeating and weight gain as constant stress causes the adrenal glands to not function optimally.

Finally, dopamine, not a hunger hormone as much as it is a neurotransmitter that functions as a key player in the brain’s reward system. When we take part in activities that are pleasurable or rewarding, dopamine is released, enforcing this behavior. This can easily influence food choices and eating behaviors as well as our perception of hunger and satiety. When our bodies release dopamine constantly over time (as with ultra processed food) our dopamine receptors become less sensitive resulting in us needing more to get the same effect – hence the continued cycle of cravings and overeating with ultra processed food.

So, if you are still with me and your eyes haven’t glazed over from all the boring science talk, the question is how can we overcome dysregulation of all of these “hunger” hormones?

The first and arguably the most important is our dietary choices. Avoid inflammatory seed oils, ultra processed foods, sugary beverages and high glycemic (sugar) foods and eat whole, nutrient-dense foods and cook with grass-fed butter, ghee, tallow and avocado oil or olive oil (if not high heat). Second, get quality sleep! Not enough good sleep has been associated with alterations in ghrelin and leptin and all kinds of other health alterations and as covered above, that is not good. Next, reduce stress to avoid increased cortisol and ghrelin. Try yoga, meditation or prayer, or deep breathing exercises to mitigate your stress. Finally, get regular exercise by walking 1-3 miles every day and strength training for 15-20 minutes at least 4 days per week. Exercise has been shown to increase leptin sensitivity (and so many other healthy things for your body).

By adopting healthy lifestyle habits, you can more easily maintain a balance among all these hormones that are essential not only for appetite control, weight management and metabolic health but for overall health and well-being. To learn more about how to get healthier with simple lifestyle changes and why, follow me on Instagram and subscribe for free at the bottom of any of my website pages (thehealthandwellnessnp.com) to receive weekly blog posts and new and exciting upcoming information and together, let’s transform your health!