Hormones and metabolism

 We know that metabolism is a Bio-Chemical reaction in the body.

We cannot miss the roles of the hormone in metabolism.

There are several glands which produce the hormones. Among them, we are going to discuss a few hormone roles in metabolism.

i) Insulin
We all know that Insulin is a culprit involved in Diabetes. During the digestion process once the food stored and process out from the stomach, comes the liver and pancreas. Pancreas secrets the Insulin.

The role of Insulin: To store the fat in the body for future use.

Higher the Insulin in the body higher the fat storage. It reduces Metabolism.

When does pancreas produce Insulin: 

i) Carbohydrate increases insulin production.
ii) After having a meal, once the food crosses the stomach, pancreas produce the Insulin.

To note: When you skip a meal, there is no Insulin production. When there is a less sugar Intake or less carbohydrate in the food, Insulin production is less.
That is why the experts suggest no carb or low carb diet for weight reduction.

ii) Thyroxine:
Thyroid gland secrets the Thyroxine hormone. Increase and decrease in this hormone affect metabolism. The hormone relates to heart health to the pregnancy. Increase in Thyroxine results in weight loss and Decrease in Thyroxine results in weight gain. To maintain a stable metabolism, stable thyroxine is essential.

iii) Cortisol:
Almost every human cells have a receptor for Cortisol hormone. It is called the stress hormone. The increase in cortisol production affects the overall body and creates an adverse effect on health. Balance in the hormone is essential for the metabolism to be stable.

Factors increasing Cortisol: Stress and Anger.

iv) Estrogen and Testosterone
This Estrogen is a sex hormone for women, and Testosterone is a sex hormone for men. The high and low level of the sex hormone can affect the metabolism. The Estrogen in women causes weight gain during the puberty and after menopause.

v) Growth hormone
Growth hormone is a product of pituitary gland, involves in human height during the growing stage. The stability of the hormone relates to muscle building and converting the food into energy in other words metabolism.

vi) Ghrelin
It is a hunger hormone. The role of the hormone is to signal the brain to induce the appetite. Brain and pancreas release this hormone. This hormone induces growth hormone release.

Controlling Ghrelin:
a) Controlling the Ghrelin is possible by intermittent fasting. Due to various reasons, if a person tends to skip a meal, continuously, the person loses the appetite. So the Ghrelin stops signaling the brain during that time. Intermittent fasting helps to control ghrelin.

b) Gastric bypass surgery: The Ghrelin level reduces after this surgery.

c) As the Ghrelin signals to store the fat, Fact in the food intake can help to control the Ghrelin.

vii) Leptin
Fat cells in the adipose tissue produce Leptin. Leptin is a satiety hormone. It sends a message to the brain, that the body has enough fat and there is no need for fat storage. So the brain controls the Ghrelin and there is no appetite. When the body has no food as input, it feeds through fat cells.

How to balance the Leptin level
a) The person who is obese has lots of Leptin in the body but attains the Leptin intolerance due to higher leptin levels. The obese people have to try intermittent fasting after feeding saturated fats like Ghee /butter/cheese. After the fat intake the blood level attains satiety, it helps to reduce the hunger.

b) The proper functioning body releases Leptin after fat intake, It helps during dieting and exercising to maintain the metabolism.

It is important to consume little fat every day, because,
i) It reduces the snacking habit.
ii) Fasting is easy.
iii) Induces the body to eat its own fat cells.
iv) Signals the brain not to store fat.

viii) Progesterone
This is a menstrual hormone. Low level of Progesterone leads to a high level on Estrogen which increases weight gain in women. The signs of reduced Progesterone are an irregular period cycle, difficulty in getting pregnant, or Abnormal uterus bleeding.

Progesterone level can be set right through supplements.


To set straight the metabolism, the required procedure is

i) To reduce the Insulin production by fasting and low carb diet.
ii) To intake fat (Ketone diet structure).
iii) To exercise or Yoga to attain the peaceful mind for the hormone balance.
iv) A well-balanced diet as per the BMI of the individual.