These 3 Hormones May Be Driving Your Cravings + What To Do
You're not imagining that irresistible allure of something sweet, salty, or fatty. Multiple hormones make it nearly impossible to say no to foods that we know aren’t nourishing. Let’s break down the top three hormones that sway your cravings, and what you can do to get them in check.
Cortisol
The adrenal glands release cortisol during times of stress (whether it's from a strained relationship or worrying about a deadline). The problem arises when those stressors don't go away. A 2022 survey revealed that a third of adults found stress to be completely overwhelming most days.
Persistently high cortisol levels may rev up your appetite and lead to overeating and weight gain. The hormone also tells the body to hold onto energy and may be the culprit behind the stubborn belly fat you just can’t seem to lose.
How to manage: Stress isn’t something we can (or should) completely eliminate from our lives. Instead, find a way to cope so it doesn’t overwhelm your life. Try meditation, start a yoga flow, make sleep a priority, and eat plenty of omega-3 fats like salmon (or get them through supplements like these).
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1)
GLP-1 is a hormone produced when food enters the small intestine and tells our brains that we’re full. It’s also involved in regulating appetite and feelings of satiety. Healthy levels of GLP-1 may help reduce cravings1 (by decreasing the physical or mental anticipation of food), increase positive feelings when consuming food, and prevent overeating.
But lifestyle habits such as sleeping poorly and eating sugary, processed foods throw GLP-1 levels out of whack and heighten cravings.
How to manage: Eating more fiber2, especially fermentable or prebiotic fibers is linked to increasing GLP-1 levels. It’s recommended to get between 21-38 grams of fiber a day, but about 95% of American adults and children3 fall short of this recommendation. So add some high-fiber foods (like avocados, lentils, and chickpeas) and even consider a prebiotic supplement for even more support. mindbodygreen's debloat+ with GLP-1 support provides 9 grams of prebiotic dietary fiber (and 2 strains of probiotics). One study shows that the fiber used (Fibersol®-2) helps naturally increased GLP-1 levels4 when taken with a meal.*
Leptin
Commonly referred to as the satiety hormone, leptin is produced by fat cells in the body to signal to the brain it’s time to stop eating. But that communication doesn’t always run smoothly and the brain may not respond to leptin’s message5—leaving you in what feels like a constant state of hunger.
How to manage: Sleep is an important regulator6 of leptin levels and appetite in general. So prioritize getting 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep a night. Some supplements can also support healthy leptin levels. Look for ones that provide a veld grape extract, which has been shown to to help curb cravings, burn calories, and reduce belly fat.* This is our favorite one.
The takeaway
We may view our cravings as a lack of willpower, but oftentimes they’re orchestrated by out-of-balance hormones. For cortisol, leptin, and GLP-1, lifestyle factors like stress and a lack of quality sleep can impact these hormones and should be some of the first habits to hone in on.
6 Sources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33536884/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5148911/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6124841/#:~:text=Although%20adequate%20intake%20of%20all,consume%20recommended%20amounts%20of%20fiber.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25823991/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34084149/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8138234/