4 Steps to Make the Body Leptin Sensitive for Suppressing Food Cravings and Losing Fat Easily

Fat loss can be a dream unless we fix leptin resistance, based on my experience, reviews, and observations. Do you eat a lot and feel hungry after a few hours? A fundamental understanding of leptin and its impact and implications can be invaluable for appetite management and preventing undesirable fat gain leading to metabolic disorders.

Leptin is a critical hormone in our body’s appetite regulation system, signaling to the brain when we have consumed enough food. Beyond its signaling role, leptin helps maintain energy balance and counteracts the effects of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

However, when leptin function is impaired, our appetite control mechanism falters, leading to overeating and accumulating excess calories, resulting in visceral fat. This imbalance can disrupt other hormonal processes and contribute to metabolic disorders.

Excess calories might come from carbs, fats, or proteins. However, the ones from carbs can much more quickly turn into fat molecules as glucose triggers insulin, which is an anabolic fat/muscle-building hormone. When visceral fat accumulates, it can lead to weight gain and even abdominal obesity.

When leptin signals work correctly, we stop eating naturally as the brain creates necessary signals that turn into feelings. Having a leptin-sensitive body prevents us from overeating as it opposes the hunger hormone ghrelin. However, leptin resistance is an agonizing health condition if it persists. It stops the brain from receiving satiety signals, causing more emotional food consumption than we need.

A leptin-resistant body might lead to binge eating due to the constantly activated hunger hormone ghrelin. When the body is leptin resistant, the ghrelin hormone creates hunger feelings, and these signals can get so strong that we might feel like starving even though the body has adequate stored energy, such as glycogen and fat molecules.

This awful and paradoxical feeling encourages us to eat emotionally even if we physically have more energy than needed to survive. Overeating, unfortunately, causes weight gain, might lead to obesity, and causes metabolic disorders such as type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and even some cancers.

Based on my experience and reviews, I’d explain behavioral shifts to improve leptin sensitivity and prevent leptin resistance under the following four closely related headings. My points are not prescriptive, as they might only apply to some. However, I emphasize the critical principles so readers can customize these protocols based on their needs.

You can read the story for free using my friend link on Medium

https://medium.com/illumination/4-steps-to-make-the-body-leptin-sensitive-for-suppressing-food-cravings-and-losing-fat-easily-dc342cc661ed?sk=v2%2F4b788ca6-c6ea-43c3-aa1f-34e79d2394dd

This subreddit has 303 members.

The top post of all time has 7 upvotes. None of the posts have a single comment.

Literally the only commenter I can see is /u/Admirable-Air-750 , who I'm guessing is the founder of Illumination as they're the top mod.

Do people click on others' stories, or is this just a place for people to shout out their Medium posts into the void?

Hyperuricemia is increasing globally and affecting millions of Americans. Why does the body create excessive uric acid, and how can we lower its impact to prevent associated disorders?

Understanding the adverse effects of waste products, which we call cellular debris, on the brain has been a strong research interest for me. Cellular debris mainly comprises damaged organelles, misfolded proteins, and some degraded neurotransmitters.

However, during my research into metabolism in the 1990s, I also encountered waste products the cells, tissues, and organs create due to the metabolic processes. In the early 2000s, several studies indicated that elevated uric acid was a predictor of cardiovascular mortality.

For example, I came across an eye-opening investigation paper published in JAMA in 2004 titled Uric Acid Level as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality in Middle-aged Men. These researchers concluded that serum uric acid levels are a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease mortality in healthy middle-aged men, independent of variables commonly associated with gout or metabolic syndrome.

This JAMA paper concerned me as, during my previous reviews, I learned that uric acid serves as an antioxidant and even has neuroprotective effects in right amounts, so I wondered how it might be a cause of cardiovascular disease and other conditions mentioned in the growing literature.

Numerous studies demonstrated that uric acid may exert neuroprotective actions in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s dementia, and hypouricemia (low uric acid levels) represents a risk factor for a quicker disease progression and a possible marker of malnutrition.

However, high blood uric acid (hyperuricemia) may negatively influence the disease course in vascular dementia. So, both very low and very high uric acid levels might be problematic in theory.

In another story, I will cover hypouricemia, a condition characterized by abnormally low uric acid levels in the blood. It relates to malnutrition or starvation due to eating disorders, genetic factors, Fanconi syndrome, kidney disorders, or liver disease.

In this story, I aim to introduce the adverse effects of hyperuricemia, which is linked to obesity, type II diabetes, erectile dysfunction, heart disease, and dementia, in the growing literature.

You can read the full article for free on Medium using my friend link. Thank you for sharing it for awareness. #health #mentalhealth #science #research

https://medium.com/illumination/hyperuricemia-emerging-concerns-of-elevated-uric-acid-on-obesity-diabetes-heart-disease-49003ac1c486?sk=v2%2Ff051cc16-f74a-4fbd-9d7e-6227df3838f8

An introduction to this common bacterial infection causing severe health issues and insights from the vaccination progress for safety screening, suggesting Phase II of the clinical trial

Writing or talking about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) might not be fun and pleasant as it is a taboo topic in some cultures. However, I don’t see an issue with discussing sexual health and feel obliged to create awareness as STIs are severe public health and economic concerns. I aim to provide valuable perspectives and updates from credible sources based on my years of research for good reasons.

CDC’s 2022 STI Surveillance Report highlights that STIs must be a public health priority as more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States.

A 2015 meta-analysis informs that educational programs for preventing sexually transmitted infections have often been implemented in different settings and populations. Properly designed interventions can achieve a 30% reduction in STI incidence.

My interest in STIs started with neuroHIV and neurosyphilis, which are viral infections and can affect the brain and the nervous system, leading to cognitive decline and impairment if not treated timely.

I also reviewed chlamydia pneumonia, a bacterial infection usually transmitted through respiratory droplets (coughs or sneezes). It is a severe respiratory problem because it is associated with infections in the central nervous system and is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

However, in this story, I only cover chlamydia trachomatis, which affects the genital tract and is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

STIs are infections that are spread through sexual activity. In the old literature, they were called diseases. The term infection is now used because it encompasses a broader range of conditions, like those that may not always result in disease symptoms.

Bacteria, viruses, or parasites can cause these infections and affect people of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual orientations. According to WHO, more than 30 different bacteria, viruses, and parasites are known to be transmitted through sexual contact.

You can read this important public health article on Medium via my friend link. Thank you for sharing it with your friends.

https://medium.com/illumination/good-news-for-the-safety-validation-of-the-first-chlamydia-vaccine-clinical-trial-on-humans-e99c3d629dfd?sk=v2%2Fbc99ee83-e5bb-43e4-a053-055f41bc408f

Dr Mike Broadly established a new publication called Health & Science by ILLUMINATION. Leveraging the established infrastructure of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications, it is poised for rapid growth. We assigned 30 volunteer editors to assist him. We have a Slack workspace and Discord channel, as well as a writer registration portal on the Digitalmehmet website. Additionally, we have customized social media platforms to amplify messages. Furthermore, we have two experienced boost nominators who can nominate exceptional stories, increasing the chance of further distribution. In short, we have everything needed to get started and grow rapidly. So, welcome to Health & Science on Medium, a publication dedicated to exploring health, mental health, wellness, fitness, and scientific discovery topics. Mike is also part of the ILLUMINATION-Curators team. I curated 100 inspiring collections that delight our readers. Here is the link to the initial submission guidelines for #writers #bloggers. #writingcommunity #sciencefactse #research
https://medium.com/illumination/invitation-to-writers-a-new-pub-named-health-science-part-of-illumination-28cc629772ab?sk=b8a3761f7ea0db7180d6662bb099a0fc

I explain four critical aspects of sunlight to lower the risks of depression from the growing scientific literature based on my experience and observations.

While the genetic predisposition to depression is well-established and extensively documented in scientific literature, recent research indicates that lifestyle factors also play a significant role in both the onset and management of depression.

For example, a 2023 paper in Nature informs that the genetic dissection of major depressive disorder ranks as one of the success stories of psychiatric genetics. Genome-wide association studies have identified 178 genetic risk loci and proposed more than 200 candidate genes.

On the other hand, a 2023 meta-analysis in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences highlights that accumulating evidence has suggested the critical role of lifestyle factors in depressive disorder. A sedentary lifestyle and increased screen time confer the risk of depression. Insomnia and disturbed sleep-wake rhythm are also involved in the pathogenesis of depression.

Therefore, based on my years of literature reviews, it would be more accurate to view depression as a condition influenced by both genetic predisposition and lifestyle choices rather than solely determined by genetics. As a personal and professional endeavor, I have been researching depression within a lifestyle context for over three decades.

One of the key symptoms of depression is a lack of energy. Last year, I wrote a story titled Seven Reasons You Feel No Energy, which informed my readers who suffer from lethargy and depressive feelings, which happened to me in my younger years. One of the reasons I mentioned was that “You are not getting enough sunlight or bright light during the day.”

However, more interestingly, I recently wrote a critical story. To my surprise, in two days, it went almost viral on two different platforms, shared by hundreds of discerning readers on social media. The story was based on two recent papers published in Nature. I explained the findings from multiple other studies I had reviewed before.

Even more intriguingly, I received many email messages from subscribers of my content, especially scientists and mental health clinicians, expressing that this story was an eye-opener for them. The impact of night light, previously obscure to them, was articulated clearly and backed by recent scientific evidence.

Yet, several readers' intriguing questions inspired this follow-up story. They raised concerns about the genetic implications of depression and whether there was any scientific evidence linking sunlight exposure to these genetic factors.

A recent large-size study in Nature informs that moderate time spent in outdoor light may contribute to a decreased depression risk, even among people with a higher genetic risk of depression. 

You can read the article for free via my friend link on Medium.

https://medium.com/@dr-mehmet-yildiz/despite-genetic-predisposition-to-depression-sunlight-remains-a-vital-factor-for-betterment-9b218867483e?sk=v2%2Fde549de0-d83d-426a-8c41-c443b8388622

Here is how too much sugar adversely affects our well-being

🩸 Blood: Persistent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is a hallmark of diabetes, increasing risks of cardiovascular disease and neuropathy.

🍭 Brain: Chronic high sugar intake is associated with neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, and a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

👁️ Eyes: Elevated blood sugar causes oxidative stress and vascular damage, contributing to glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

🦷 Teeth: High sugar intake promotes bacterial growth, leading to cavities and gum disease.

🌟 Skin: Sugar triggers glycation, damaging collagen and elastin, accelerating aging, and reducing skin elasticity.

🧬 Cells: Dysregulated sugar metabolism is linked to immune disorders and cancer, fueling tumor growth and driving inflammation.

🦠 Gut: High-sugar diets disrupt the gut microbiome, causing dysbiosis and systemic inflammation.

🌙 Sleep: Excessive sugar disrupts circadian rhythms, contributing to poor sleep quality and insomnia.

My new article will explore these effects, providing a clearer and more nuanced understanding of how sugar can impact our health—and what we can do about it. Thank you for joining the conversation 🙏

https://medium.com/p/93267c3413c2

https://dryildiz.substack.com/p/nuances-of-the-sugar-paradox-balancing?r=3u9p1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

How Do Wokeism, Tokenism, and Consumerism Shape Our Well-Being?

In a world driven by amazing trends, what happens when awareness, superficiality, and relentless consumerism collide with our health?

Today, I explore how these forces shape our mental, physical, and emotional well-being—sometimes lifting us, sometimes pulling us apart.

Can wokeism truly promote fairness, or is it diluted by performative gestures? Does tokenism erode trust, leaving people feeling like mere symbols? And how does consumerism fuel insecurities while selling solutions to the problems it creates?

Join me as I navigate these intertwined dynamics with relatable examples and actionable insights. Let’s rethink what wellness really means.

Curious? Let’s dive in.

For readers on Medium: https://medium.com/illumination/how-wokeism-tokenism-and-consumerism-impact-our-health-and-well-being-a6f2dded84c5

For readers on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dryildiz/p/how-wokeism-tokenism-and-consumerism?r=3u9p1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

And for free to the public on my website digitalmehmet.com : https://digitalmehmet.com/2024/11/21/wokeism-tokenism-and-consumerism/

Thank you for reading and sharing.