Food cravings are one of the main culprits of weight gain as well as preventing people from losing body fat.

A silent cause of food cravings is being unaware of what causes the issue in the first place. Here you will find the biological causes of what makes you want to eat when you are not hungry followed by some actionable steps you can implement to eliminate food cravings.

Leptin and Ghrelin

Hormones are what controls your appetite and your appetite has a strong influence on the amount and type of food you consume. You can clearly see that influencing your hormones have a direct influence on your ability to control your weight.

The two hormones that control your appetite are Leptin and Ghrelin.

Leptin function acts as an appetite suppressor and is produced by fat cells

Ghrelin which is produced in the stomach, serves the opposite purpose to leptin and initiates hunger.

Obese populations have higher leptin levels and would therefore be considered to have smaller appetities. The reason why this is not the case is due to leptin resistance. 

Leptin Resistance

Leptin resistance is a condition when the brain has a decreased responsiveness to leptin. In other words the fat cells in the body are trying to communicate to the brain “I’m full” but the brain cannot pick the signal and therefore thinks it is still hungry which causes food cravings as a direct result.

Leptin Sensitivity

Allowing the brain to become more sensitive to leptin is therefore the solution to appetite cravings. Here are 4 ways you can increase leptin sensitivity:

1. Exercise - Putting stress on your muscles causes anti-inflammatory effects on the part of the brain that responds to leptin. Regular exercise therefore can improve your ability to control your appetite.
2. Eat fibre - Wholegrain carbohydrates have been proven to increase satiety levels in a study.
3. Consume protein - Protein rich diets have been proven to elevate leptin sensitivity. Oily fish have been shown to be effective in reversing leptin resistance
4. Consume foods rich in polyphenols - Polyphenols have been found to reduce inflammation in the brain, which is the main cause of leptin resistance. Polyphenols are therefore key in increasing leptin sensitivity. 

Conclusion

The causes behind food cravings are hormonal in nature with leptin being the main influencer. How you reduce cravings is therefore how well you increase the sensitivity of your brain to leptin. Exercise and nutrition play as key factors in increasing your sensitivity to leptin. 

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