Your body has an amazing appetite control system and learning to regulate this system can help with weight loss.

In the brain, some of the chemicals that control appetite are called neurotransmitters and they are made up from dietary building blocks called amino acids.   Normally amino acids are obtained via proteins in our diet.  However, amino acid deficiencies or imbalances commonly occur for various reasons.

Chief among appetite control neurotransmitters are dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin.   The main prescription medications that help with weight loss, by suppressing appetite or lowering food cravings, increase the activity of  these brain chemicals.

Through balanced amino acid support the same appetite control can be achieved.  It is not as simple as just taking the amino acids and it is very important to monitor the effects to insure the dosing of amino acids is correct.  We typically utilize combinations of 5HTP, tyrosine, or GABA to help with weight loss.

Another complex system of appetite control involves numerous hormones secreted by the gut, pancreas and fat cells.  You may have heard of key players such as leptin, that tells the brain “we’re full”, or ghrelin which tells the brain “we’re hungry”.  For even more appetite control, we may add to amino acid therapy and use natural supplements that help leptin work better and curb appetite.

Understanding the complex chemistry of appetite is one area we can really help with in your weight loss journey.