Leptin is a hormone produced by your body’s fat cells, often referred to as the satiety hormone or the starvation hormone because of its role in appetite regulation and energy expenditure . It essentially tells your brain when you’re full and should stop eating.
Leptin levels are directly proportional to the amount of fat tissue you have. The more fat cells you have, the more leptin your body produces. This leptin then travels through your bloodstream to the hypothalamus, a part of your brain that controls appetite. When leptin reaches the hypothalamus, it binds to receptors, sending a signal that you’re full and should stop eating.
Here’s a summary of leptin’s key functions:
ghrelin is not leptin