Are Hormones Linked to Weight?
Intro
Weight management and metabolism is complex, and science has shown that there are many elements and factors that are linked to weight. Since I focus on hormones, gut health, and skin health in my practice, the main questions I get from people online and IRL about metabolism are in connection to hormones.
So, let’s talk about hormones!
Let’s talk about what science has to say about hormones, and how hormones are linked to weight & metabolism. Let’s also talk about hormones from a holistic POV and speak about the underlying elements affecting hormones.
NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS MEANT TO BE EDUCATIONAL ONLY, AND IS NOT MEANT TO DIAGNOSE, PREVENT, TREAT, OR CURE. PEOPLE SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR TRUSTED LICENSED PROVIDER BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW TREATMENTS
Is Thyroid hormone linked to weight?
Thyroid hormone is responsible for metabolism, energy, growth, and more.
Hypothyroidism occurs in 1 in 300 people and is a condition when people have low thyroid hormone. Autoimmunity is the most-common cause of hypothyroidism, but it can also be acquired after thyroid gland removal.
Those with hypothyroidism have been reported to experience the following constellation of symptoms: Weight gain, puffy face, fatigue, constipation, increased sensitivity to cold, thinning hair, dry skin, and more. And, according to a 2020 study, those with acquired hypothyroidism from thyroid gland removal may “experience possible mild weight gain.” Because of all of this, many people (and their doctors) think that hypothyroidism is the cause of weight issues.
Those with hypothyroidism are usually treated with thyroid hormone medications. A 2013 study showed that when adults with primary hypothyroidism were given thyroid medication for 24 months, “52% of patients lost weight, with a mean weight loss of 3.8 ± 4.4 kg.” With this finding, it could be suggested that hypothyroidism is not the only cause of weight issues in some individuals since thyroid medication showed to cause weight changes in around half of the subjects in the study.
Are Stress & Cortisol connected to weight?
Many people think that increased stress plays a role in the development of weight issues, but what does science have to say?
When people experience physical or emotional stress, cortisol is the main hormone that people think off.
During states of stress, different parts of the body get activated to send out hormones. First, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus that senses the stressor, which then sends a signal to another part of the brain called the pituitary gland. Once the pituitary gland is activated, it then sends a long-distance signal to the adrenal glands. After the adrenal glands receive this signal from the pituitary gland, they become activated to send out cortisol, which leads to the stress response of increased heart rate, increased energy expenditure, and more.
Now, a 2017 study connected higher cortisol, chronic stress, and insulin to “greater future weight gain” in a cohort study of 339 adults. And, a 2018 cohort study done with 3872 women and men over the course of 20 years showed that occupational stress was associated with long-term weight gain over 20 years in women (but not in men) after adjusting for diet quality, lifestyle, and other factors!
Interestingly, there are pharmaceutical medications that mimic the effect of cortisol to dampen the effects of inflammation in the body, such as cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, and more.
According to University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health, “weight gain is a common side effect of prednisone,” and does so by causing “fluid retention and increased calorie intake because of increased appetite.”
So, science shows that there is a connection between stress and weight, but more studies need to be completed for us to further understand how stress leads to weight issues since these results reveal associations (not causations). But, we do know that medications that mimic cortisol, such as prednisone, can potentially lead to weight gain through fluid retention and affecting appetite.
Insulin, leptin, ghrelin, And More
Insulin, leptin, ghrelin, and other hormones are sometimes thought of when speaking about weight and metabolism.
Insulin was mentioned above, but what does it do and is there any more science behind insulin and weight?
Insulin is a pancreatic hormone responsible for balancing sugar levels in the blood. Insulin is released by the pancreas when we consume carbohydrates, and insulin helps transport carbohydrates into cells to make cellular energy (while also having other anabolic properties).
As people increase their intake of carbohydrates, it leads to higher output of insulin from the pancreas. Over time, cellular sensitivity to insulin may reduce, which forces the pancreas to send out more insulin to help balance sugar levels in the blood. Now, why is this important? Science shows that elevated levels of insulin is “associated with insulin resistance and results in weight gain.”
Leptin and ghrelin are two opposing hormones that help maintain appetite and more.
Leptin, known as the “satiety hormone,” is a hormone from fat cells that is responsible for regulating food intake, body mass, and reproductive function. And, ghrelin is a gut hormone commonly known as the “hunger hormone” that is responsible for stimulating appetite and feeding behavior.
Leptin resistance is a condition when leptin is unable to reach target cells. And, research shows that leptin resistance may lead to “reduced satiety, over-consumption of nutrients, and increased total body mass.” While there appears to be many reasons why this happens, science shows that leptin resistance has been linked to increased body fat percentage and obesity.
In regards to ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and weight, research shows that ghrelin is inversely related to body mass index. Additionally, science shows that ghrelin is inadequately suppressed in obese individuals, leading to continued feeling of hunger and difficulty losing weight.
Adiponectin is hormone made by fat cells that plays a role in metabolic processes, such as regulating blood sugar, lipid/fat metabolism, and more
Research tells us that adiponectin levels may be related to obesity (other conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease). Science also tells us that weight loss or caloric restriction increases adiponectin levels, which increases insulin sensitivity.
Because of these scientific findings, the research community is looking into how adiponectin could be used to address obesity. However, more research needs to be completed for us to fully understand what adiponectin does in humans, and how it could be used safely.
BEYond hormones: is “Inflammation” linked to weight?
We have extensively talked about hormones and how different hormones could be linked to issues with weight and metabolism. And from what we have covered so far, it seems like weight is a complex thing!
BUT, I’m more than confident that you have probably heard from your favorite wellness influencer or from your favorite health blog linking inflammation to weight.
So, what’s the deal with inflammation and weight? Is it true? Let’s talk about that!
What is inflammation?
We all hear and read about inflammation, but a lot of us don’t know what it really means. According to a 2018 article, inflammation is generally defined as an immune response to “harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, toxic compounds, or irradiation.” And, authors of this 2018 article write that short spurts of inflammation are helpful since inflammation “[removes] injurious stimuli and [starts] the healing process.”
What does SCIENCE have to say about inflammation & weight?
Now, how is inflammation linked to weight?
So, science says that inflammation is associated with obesity. A 2016 study showed higher levels of inflammation and lower levels of adiponectin in obese adults, and a 2012 study showed that body mass index was associated with higher levels of specific inflammatory markers in females and that waist circumference was associated with inflammation in males.
Despite these findings, a 2019 study showed that while there is an association between inflammation and obesity, inflammation does not predict weight gain in adult populations! And, authors of the study suggested that systemic inflammation could mostly be a product of obesity, rather than inflammation causing obesity!
Is Gut health linked to weight?
We just spoke about inflammation, and it seems like systemic/global inflammation could be a product of obesity. But, in the science community, we know that inflammation can happen locally, like in the gut! And, some wellness influencers and wellness blogs have connected gut inflammation and weight. But, what does science have to say about this?
When speaking about the gut, we need to understand that the gut is composed of different organs responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients from food. And when looking at this at a different perspective, we can see that the gut is constantly exposed to outside influences from our environment (such as food, bacteria, viruses, and more) that could affect the health of cells in the gut.
So, looking at gut health is more than just looking at the actual health of the organs in the digestive system. It is also looking at the factors from our environment that interact with the gut and gut cells that may be affecting gut health.
A 2016 study concluded that changes to the gut microbiome may play a role in issues with metabolism and weight. The gut microbiome is the collection of all of the microbes (yes, there are naturally-occurring bacteria in the gut). And, researchers of this 2016 article indicate that changes to the gut microbiome may cause local inflammation in the gut, leading to intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut) and metabolic inflammation. Authors of this article also indicate that changes to the gut microbiome may lead to “[increased] energy harvest from the diet,” which may play a role in issues with metabolism.
Another 2016 study investigated the effect of probiotics on weight. This study showed that select probiotics and synbiotics “provided beneficial effects in patients with obesity, mainly affecting the body mass index and fat mass.” And a more-recent scientific review completed in 2019 reasserted these findings on probiotics and prebiotics when looking at animal and human clinical trials.
Science also shows that our diet and what we eat can cause changes to the gut microbiome. Research shows that that a high-sugar, high-fat diet with low dietary fiber may cause gut microbiome shifts that lead to local inflammation, then possibly leading to blood sugar dysfunction and obesity. And, a 2020 study showed that boys who ate pro-inflammatory foods had an increased risk for obesity.
So, gut health has been linked to issues with weight and metabolism - but association does not mean causation! While the research is promising, more studies need to be completed for us to further understand how the interplay between diet/food, the gut microbiome, and local gut inflammation may play a role in the development of issues with weight and metabolism.
Is Sleep conNected to weight?
Sleep is another one that is spoken about in some wellness circles. So, could sleep play a role in weight issues? Again, let’s talk about what science has to say!
Science shows that sleeping less was associated with increased caloric intake with no change to activity energy expenditure. Why could this be happening? Let’s loop back to our part on ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and leptin (the satiety hormone). A 2008 study showed that total sleep deprivation caused higher levels of ghrelin and increased feelings of hunger, but that leptin levels did not differ. And, a 2020 scientific review concluded that short sleep duration increased ghrelin levels!
So, sleep may affect weight by affecting ghrelin, feelings of hunger, and caloric intake. But, further research needs to be completed to see if changes to sleep duration causes changes to weight.
Beyond the amount of sleep, the time someone sleeps may also be an important factor to consider. A 2020 study completed on 1,627 subjects showed that “maintaining a consistent sleep onset is associated with improved [weight loss management] and body composition.” And more specifically from the authors of this 2020 study, higher sleep onset variability was associated with “weight regain” and an increase in body fat percentage.
So, from these findings, the amount of sleep has been linked to changes in hunger by affecting ghrelin, and how consistent someone’s bed time is has been associated with changes in body composition!
Summary & Takeaways
From what you probably gathered after reading this blog post, weight is complex! And sometimes, it’s more than just focusing on calories in-calories out!
There are multiple factors that have been linked to weight, and because of this there is no silver bullet! While hormones connected to metabolism, there may be other elements that may be taking place in someone’s personal health journey that may be contributing to issues with metabolism and weight.
And, beyond the things that we spoke about in this blog post, there are way more factors that play a role in issues with body composition and metabolism!
So, for those seeking to optimize their weight, research indicates that individualized treatment plans are necessary to maximize outcomes! With that, if you are on a journey to optimize weight and metabolism, work with a provider (or a team or providers) who can see you holistically and address the possible (and various) causes that could be affecting your personal health and wellness.
WHY WORKING WITH A LICENSED NATUROPATHIC PROVIDER IS MEANINGFUL:
Licensed naturopathic doctors are experts in holistic and integrative medicine. So, that means licensed naturopathic doctors (like myself) will look at your health in a multi-systems approach to understand what is taking place directly and what are possible underlying causes that are leading to imbalances in health. And, licensed naturopathic doctors are trained to provide truly-integrative medical care with knowledge in pharmaceutical and natural options.
NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS MEANT TO BE EDUCATIONAL ONLY, AND IS NOT MEANT TO DIAGNOSE, PREVENT, TREAT, OR CURE. PEOPLE SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR TRUSTED LICENSED PROVIDER BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW TREATMENTS
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