Leptin, PCOS, and Diabetes – Dr. Ali’s Insulin Course
Majid Ali, M.D.
The discovery of leptin was hailed as the “pill answer” to obetes. Some people enriched themselves vastly from stock trades with its sizzle.
It was touted as the satiety hormone. It is produced in fat cells and regulates fat storage in the body. It does this by calibrating both the sensation of hunger as well as energy utilization.
Leptin serves insulin as one of important hormones in the energy economy of the body in many ways. It disrupts reproductive functions both by its excess and deficit. Specifically:
* It is involved with regulation of neuroendocrine functions, including reproduction.
* It plays a permissive role in the beginning of puberty.
* It participates in the maintenance of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis.
* Congenital and acquired leptin deficiency leads to chronic energy deficit.
* Leptin deficit leads to hypothalamic amenorrhea.
* Leptin deficiency is one of the causative factors for type 1 diabetes.
* Excess leptin, on the other hand, is involved with hypogonadism associated with obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Central leptin resistance is one aspect of these relationships.
I elaborate many of the above relationships in my two free courses entitled Dr. Ali’s Insulin Course and Dr. Ali’s Diabetes Course, both available at www.AliScience.org
Suggested Reading:
Chou, SH, and Christos Mantzoros C. 20 Years of Leptin: Role of leptin in human reproductive disorders. Journal of Endocrinology.2014
