Below are five most important hormones affecting body weight.
Thyroid: hormones T3, T4 and calcitonin
The thyroid gland is responsible for the metabolism in our body. It is a small but very important organ, as an insufficient amount of the main thyroid hormones provokes hypothyroidism. One of the symptoms of this syndrome is weight gain. Fat does not add volume to the body, but fluid that accumulates in the tissues of the body.
How to avoid the problem?
Add iodized salt to your diet, food rich in zinc and vitamin D, avoid raw vegetables and fruits.
Pancreas: insulin
The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas. It participates in the complex process of transferring glucose into the cell and transforming it into energy, or "storage" in the form of fat. Eating a lot of fast food, alcohol, and foods with artificial sweeteners can trigger insulin resistance. This is dangerous, as it causes spikes in blood sugar, which in turn give rise to the development of 2 types of diabetes and obesity.
How to avoid the problem?
You should remove fatty foods, alcohol, soda from the diet and add vegetables, herbs, and seasonal fruits. Make it a habit to exercise and drink enough water daily (at least 1.5 liters). Make sure you have sources of omega-3 fatty acids in your menu.
About the insulin resistance you can read here.
Cortisol
The cortisol produced in the adrenal glands is called the stress hormone. It begins to actively "work" when you are in danger, anxiety, stress, or suffer from physical damage to the body. Its main task is to reduce stress levels through the release of sugar into the blood and the regulation of metabolism. A modern person is in permanent stress, cortisol is produced regularly and is harmful to health. It provokes the deposition of visceral fat and the maturation of fat cells.
How to avoid problems?
It is important to sleep at least 8 hours a day, take time for meditation, breathing exercises, avoid alcoholic beverages, and fried foods.
Testosterone.
This hormone is called male, but it is also produced in the female body. Testosterone is responsible for fat burning, bone strength and muscle elasticity, and libido activity. Accordingly, if this hormone is no longer produced in the required volume, fragility of bones, loss of muscle mass and weight gain are observed.
How to avoid problems?
Make sure you have plenty of fiber in your diet, avoid alcoholic beverages, exercise regularly, and don't forget about protein supplements.
High cortisol level in the 21th century
Progesterone
Progesterone is an important female sex hormone that affects the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Its level in a woman's body must be balanced, otherwise depression and weight gain may begin. The decrease in progesterone levels is influenced by the use of birth control pills, stress and menopause.
How to avoid problems?
Make it a rule to exercise, meditate and try to avoid stressful situations. Hormones are responsible for many physiological processes. Therefore, it is very important to regularly check the level of the most important hormones. Without this, it will be problematic to achieve good results when dieting, and even intense physical activity will not bring the desired effect.
It is important that all hormones are stable and do not exceed the permissible limits. Of course, the state of the hormonal background is influenced by age, gender, lifestyle and many other factors. Men gain weight with testosterone deficiency and high estrogen, women gain excess weight due to problems with thyroid hormones and sex hormones. Obesity occurs due to improper synthesis of pancreatic hormones, in particular insulin, which can provoke severe hunger or overeating.
