Hormones That Make You Hungry

Remember the ditty that goes: "the hip bone's connected to the thigh bone.."? That same idea of interconnectedness is also crucial for understanding how hormones affect metabolic functions throughout your body.

The female sex hormone estradiol, the main form of estrogen, is one of the keys to a normal menstrual cycle. It is also responsible for many of the changes in a woman's body during and after menopause. However, recent research shows that estradiol also can modulate the secretion of another hormone called leptin. Leptin is linked to the gene for obesity — and has been nicknamed "the hunger hormone" for its role in regulating body weight and food intake.

Do you experience more intense food cravings at certain times before or during your monthly period? When estradiol levels rise and fall during the menstrual cycle, they can trigger fluctuations in leptin that increase food cravings and consumption. Imbalances in estrogen and sex steroids can also be linked to weight gain — especially in the abdominal region — in premenopausal women.

Higher levels of another female hormone, progesterone, have also been linked to increased body weight in women. Imbalances of testosterone, a male sex hormone that women produce in the ovaries and adrenal glands, can disrupt a healthy blood sugar metabolism and promote fat deposits around the stomach.

Since obesity and weight gain are estimated to affect as many as 6 out of 10 woman undergoing menopause, achieving an optimal balance of sex hormones is especially important during this time.

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References:

1. Falkner B, Sherif K, Sumner A, Kushner H. Hyperinsulinism and sex hormone in young adult African-Americans. Metabolism 1999;48(1):107-12.
2. Ivandic A, Pripic-Krizevac I, Sucic M, Juric M. Hyperinsulinemia and sex hormones in healthy premonopausal women: relative contribution of obesity, obesity type, and duration of obeisty. Metabolism 1998;47(1):13-9.
3. Mannucci E, Ognibene A, Becorpi A, Cremasco F, Pellegrini S, Ottanelli S, etal. Relationship between leptin and oestrogens in healthy women. Eur J Endorincol 1988;139(2):198-201.
4. Milewicz A, Bidzinska B, Sidorowicz A. Perimenopausal obesity. Gynecol Endocrinol 1996;10(4):285-91.
5. Prolo P, Wong ML, Licinio J. Leptin. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 1998;30(12):1285-90.
6. Shimuzu H, Shimomura Y, Nakanishi Y, Futawatari T, Ohtani K, Sato N, Mori M. Estrogen increases in-vivo leptin production in rats and human subjects. J Endocrinol 1997;154(2):285-92.
7. Spicer LJ, Fancisco CC. The adipose obese gene product, leptin: evidence of a direct inhibitory role in ovarian function. Endocrinology 1997;138(8):3374-9.
8. Stoll BA. Peri-menopausal weight gain and progression of breast cancer precursors. Cancer Det Prev 1999;23(1):31-6.
9. Yoo KY, Kim H, Shin HR, Kang D, Ha M, Park SK, Lee BO, Cho SH. Female sex hormones and body mass in adolescent and postmenopausal Korean women. J Korean Med Sci 1998;13(3):241-6.

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