Have you ever heard of adiponectin ? You probably haven't. But it's a very important hormone that our bodies produce. To be precise, it's a protein that acts as both a hormone and a protein. Shall we talk about this simply and politely? Let me explain it in a way that you can understand.
What is Adiponectin? Why is it so important?
Simply put, adiponectin is a type of protein and hormone called an adipokine that affects several metabolic processes in our body. It is mainly known for helping to control our body's insulin sensitivity and prevent inflammation.
Adiponectin is mostly produced by your adipose tissue. However, it is also produced by other tissues in your body. Scientists discovered adiponectin in the 1990s. That means they are still learning a lot about it. It is possible that adiponectin has other important functions that we don't yet know about.
What service does adiponectin provide to our body?
Adiponectin is not just a hormone. It plays a role in many of our body's metabolic processes and cellular functions. Two of the most important are increasing insulin sensitivity and fighting inflammation. Let's look at these two separately.
What is Insulin Sensitivity?
Insulin sensitivity is how well your body can use the hormone insulin. The more sensitive your body is to insulin, the more easily your body can use insulin to keep your blood glucose levels at a healthy level. Insulin is like a key that opens a door. It is needed for sugar to enter the cells. The more sensitive you are, the better the key works.
There are several ways in which adiponectin helps with insulin sensitivity:
- Your skeletal muscles ( Affects insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and liver.
- It increases the release of insulin from your pancreas.
- It prevents the production of glycogen in the liver (this controls the sudden increase in sugar in the blood).
- Build strength It promotes the breakdown of fatty acids , which means it reduces the accumulation of unwanted fat.
Think of it this way: our body is like a factory. Insulin is the chief engineer working there. Adiponectin is like an assistant helping that engineer. That makes the job easier, right?
Adiponectin against inflammation
What is inflammation? When something enters your body, like bacteria, or when you get an injury, your immune system sends cells to fight it. That's what inflammation is. Sometimes this is necessary. However, chronic inflammation is not good for the body. It can cause many diseases.
Adiponectin reduces inflammation in:
- Macrophages (a type of white blood cell that engulfs and kills things like bacteria and viruses)
- Endothelial tissue (these are the cells that line the inside of the heart and blood vessels)
- Muscle Cells
- Epithelial cells (these are cells that line the inside and outside surfaces of the body)
Adiponectin's ability to reduce inflammation protects these parts of our body:
- Vascular system (that is, our blood vessel system)
- Heart
- Lungs
- Colon
Simply put, adiponectin is like a little bodyguard in our body. It helps insulin and prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body.
Where is adiponectin produced in our body?
Adiponectin is mostly produced and secreted by energy-storing cells called adipocytes in our white adipose tissue. White adipose tissue is the main type of fat in our bodies. These are found in:
- Under your skin ( subcutaneous fat )
- Around the internal organs ( visceral fat )
- Inside your bones ( marrow fat )
Apart from these, adiponectin can also be produced by several other cell types:
- Skeletal muscle cells
- Heart muscle cells
- Endothelial cells
How are adiponectin levels controlled?
As I mentioned before, adiponectin is a relatively new discovery, so scientists are still researching it. So far, several hormones have been found to help regulate adiponectin levels.
Although the hormone insulin appears to be involved in the production of adiponectin, not all scientists agree on exactly how this happens.
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and growth hormone (GH) regulate the release of adiponectin from adipose tissue. The hormone leptin (also an adipokine) may also contribute to the regulation of adiponectin.
Can adiponectin levels be checked? What kind of test is used?
Yes, you can check how much adiponectin is in your body with a blood test.
Doctors may order this adiponectin blood test to help diagnose conditions like type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome . However, there are other tests that are more commonly used to diagnose these conditions. So not everyone is asked to do this test.
What should normal adiponectin levels be like?
Normal levels of adiponectin vary depending on your gender and Body Mass Index (BMI) , which is a measure of whether you are at a healthy weight for your height.
Typically, adiponectin ranges for men are as follows:
- If BMI is less than 25: 5 to 37 micrograms per milliliter (5 to 37 ug/mL)
- If BMI is between 25 and 30: 5 to 28 ug/mL
- If BMI is over 30: 2 to 20 ug/mL
Typically, adiponectin ranges for women are as follows:
- If BMI is less than 25: 5 to 37 ug/mL
- If BMI is between 25 and 30: 4 to 20 ug/mL
- If BMI is over 30: 4 to 22 ug/mL
Important: These normal values may vary slightly from lab to lab. So check the normal range on your lab report. If you have any questions about your results, be sure to ask your doctor.
What diseases can be caused by abnormal adiponectin levels?
There are several health conditions that have been associated with abnormal adiponectin levels. Some of them include:
- Obesity and underweight
- Insulin resistance
- Atherosclerosis (this is what is called the build-up of fat in the blood vessels and clogging them)
- Lipodystrophy (This is a rare disease, in which fat is lost in some areas of the body and excess fat accumulates in other areas)
Many of these conditions are associated with decreased adiponectin levels.
Obesity and adiponectin
People who are obese have low levels of adiponectin. On the other hand, people who are severely underweight due to conditions such as anorexia nervosa or malnutrition have high levels of adiponectin.
Simply put, as a person's body fat increases, their adiponectin levels decrease. Likewise, as a person's body fat decreases, their adiponectin levels increase. When an obese person loses weight, their adiponectin levels increase.
Insulin Resistance and Adiponectin
Because adiponectin helps with insulin sensitivity, people with insulin resistance typically have low levels of adiponectin. Insulin resistance is when your body's cells don't respond properly to insulin. This results in your body releasing too much insulin (called hyperinsulinemia ).
Insulin resistance can lead to conditions such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes . Insulin resistance is often associated with obesity. However, insulin resistance can occur without obesity. Also, people with insulin resistance without obesity usually have low adiponectin levels. This suggests that there may be a genetic factor affecting insulin resistance and adiponectin.
Atherosclerosis and adiponectin
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty deposits (plaque) build up in the walls of your arteries, clogging them. This is a major cause of heart disease.
Adiponectin's anti-inflammatory properties protect the heart and blood vessels. So, low adiponectin levels may contribute to cardiovascular problems like atherosclerosis and heart attacks .
Lipodystrophy and adiponectin
Lipodystrophy is a rare condition in which you lose fat in some parts of your body and build up fat in other areas.
Lipodystrophy can be present from birth, or it can develop later in life. Congenital and HIV-associated lipodystrophy are associated with low levels of adiponectin. This may be because adiponectin also affects how your body stores fat.
Is there a treatment for abnormal adiponectin levels?
One of the best natural treatments for improving adiponectin levels is to continue exercising and lose weight in a healthy way. However, you should definitely talk to your doctor before making any major changes to your diet and exercise habits.
Some diabetes medications, such as metformin and thiazolidinediones, increase adiponectin levels.
Scientists are currently researching drugs that can mimic the effects of adiponectin to treat chronic inflammatory conditions.
What is the difference between Adiponectin and Leptin?
Leptin and adiponectin are both hormones, or adipokines, made and released by your fat tissue. Leptin is responsible for boosting metabolism and reducing appetite.
Like adiponectin, abnormal levels of leptin are also associated with obesity - but in a different way. Leptin levels increase as body fat increases. However, adiponectin levels decrease as body fat increases. This is the main difference.
Finally, things you need to remember
So, adiponectin is a relatively new hormone that has many important functions in our bodies. Scientists are still learning more about it. If you have a metabolic disease like obesity or type 2 diabetes, you've probably heard your doctor talk about adiponectin.
If you ever don't understand a word a doctor uses, never be afraid to ask what it means. They are there to help you. It is very important to be informed about your health.
I hope you have a good idea about adiponectin. Stay healthy!
` Adiponectin, hormones, insulin, inflammation, fat, metabolism, diabetes
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