Alongside insulin and cortisol, two other hormone play a big part in your weight gain and weight loss. These two, which work in concert with one another, are leptin and ghrelin.
Leptin is found in your fat cells. This is the hormone that lets your brain know that you have enough fat storage, and that you don’t need to eat much more. On the other side is ghrelin, the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to eat.
If you have a hard time knowing when you’re hungry and when you’re full, there’s a possibility that you have an imbalance in these hormones, or possibly even leptin resistance. Studies have found that in obese individuals, there is often a high level of leptin available despite having an abundance of fat storage, yet the body continues creating more leptin. This points to a leptin resistance, much like the insulin resistance we are familiar with regarding diabetes.
In addition, adrenal hormones like cortisol have been found to pay a part in the amount of ghrelin the body produces- high levels of cortisol have been linked to high levels of ghrelin, perhaps explaining why we tend to “stress eat”, but also explaining why those who are dealing with so-called adrenal fatigue also have a hard time regulating weight even when they are eating a proper diet!
If you feel you have an issue with the regulation of your hormones that could be causing an inability to lose weight despite your best efforts, reach out to one of the practitioners at Root Causes Clinic! Our expert practitioners can help you find the root cause and treat it, getting you back on your road to wellness.
