209 | id == 209
209 | category_id == 18
209 | category_order == 15
209 | category_name == Weight
209 | category_color == #C47AC0
209 | slug == POMC-weight
209 | title == A Hormonal Master Switch’s Connection to Weight Gain (POMC)
209 | meta_description == POMC is cut into other hormones like ACTH and MSH; learn how deficiency can cause uncontrolled appetite and weight gain.
209 | summary == <p><strong>POMC is cut into other hormones like ACTH and MSH; deficiency can cause uncontrolled appetite and weight gain. Read on to learn more.</strong></p>
209 | overall_score_text == Body Weight Score (based on POMC)
209 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/POMC--Weight.jpg
209 | author_id == 1
209 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
209 | author_title == BSc, BEd
209 | author_order == 36
209 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
209 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
209 | reviewer == None
209 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
209 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
209 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
209 | publish_date == 2020
209 | publish_date == 6
209 | publish_date == 9
209 | avg_rating == 5.0
209 | tags_id == 479
209 | tags_name == ACTH
209 | tags_id == 482
209 | tags_name == Adrenal Insufficiency
209 | tags_id == 200
209 | tags_name == Appetite
209 | tags_id == 480
209 | tags_name == Body Composition
209 | tags_id == 462
209 | tags_name == Body Fat
209 | tags_id == 165
209 | tags_name == Obesity
209 | tags_id == 481
209 | tags_name == POMC Gene
209 | tags_id == 115
209 | tags_name == Weight Gain
209 | tags_id == 184
209 | tags_name == Weight Loss
209 | permissions_favorite == False
209 | permissions_rate == False
209 | content_article == <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article is for informational purposes only. None of the information here should be taken as medical advice. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, seek medical help. </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep in mind that these results are based on association studies, which are correlative and aren&rsquo;t necessarily causative. Any single genetic variant will typically contribute only a small proportion to the overall risk of the condition, and non-genetic factors play a large role in developing a condition as well. Therefore, just because you have one of these genotypes does not necessarily mean you are at an increased risk of developing this condition!</span></em></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is POMC?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proopiomelanocortin, or POMC, is a protein that is cut into multiple other, smaller proteins with specialized functions. More specifically, POMC is divided into </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/acth/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">adrenocorticotropic hormone</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/acth/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ACTH</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) and three melanocyte-stimulating hormones (&alpha;-, &beta;-, and &gamma;-</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/alpha-msh-its-role-in-weight-control-autoimmunity-cirs-and-cfs/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">MSH</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/POMC"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC is expressed by nerve cells called POMC neurons. These neurons mainly exist in the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hypothalamus-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">hypothalamus</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a small brain structure that controls hormone expression and maintains homeostasis&mdash;that is, whenever the hypothalamus receives signals that something is out of the ordinary, it sends appropriate signals to restore systems to normal [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5669621/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1982717"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC helps maintain homeostasis by, among other things, suppressing appetite when we have eaten enough food [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5669621/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC neurons are stimulated by several other hormones, the most important of which may be </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/all-about-leptin-its-role-in-chronic-inflammation-cfs-and-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">leptin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the satiety hormone. Leptin is released when we eat, signalling to our bodies that we are full [</span><a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/33710"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">POMC is a signalling protein found in the hypothalamus. It is cut into multiple other hormones, including ACTH and MSH.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is ACTH?</span></h3> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/acth/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adrenocorticotropic hormone</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/acth/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ACTH</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), also known as corticotropin, is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. ACTH is responsible for stimulating the production of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/need-know-cortisol-health-effects/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cortisol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by the adrenal gland [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279118/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cortisol is often produced in response to biological </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/63-factors-raising-stress-cortisol-level-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and has several important effects, including suppressing the immune response, maintaining blood pressure, and regulating protein, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and lipid (fat) metabolism [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279118/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">What are Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones?</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSH), as their name suggests, promote activity in melanin-forming cells, mainly in the skin. There are at least three subtypes of MSH: &alpha;-MSH, &beta;-MSH, and &gamma;-MSH. Of these, &alpha;-MSH is the most important and has the most dramatic effects [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3834696/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3936413/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The two most prominent roles that &alpha;-MSH has in human physiology is in causing </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (by reducing appetite and increasing energy expenditure) and by increasing pigment production in the skin [</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25798605"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proopiomelanocortin Deficiency</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers believe that a deletion mutation in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene can cause proopiomelanocortin deficiency [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10823/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Babies with this genetic condition are constantly hungry and always want to feed. Almost all of them are obese by the time they are one year old [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10823/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These children are typically obese for their entire lives, and this weight gain may make them more susceptible to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Due to low production of MSH, people with POMC deficiency may also have very pale skin that burns easily. POMC deficiency is more common in people with red hair than in other populations [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10823/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most troublesome health problem associated with POMC deficiency, however, is adrenal insufficiency; a lack of ACTH leads to low blood sugar, excessive </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/bilirubin-benefit-how-to-optimize/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">bilirubin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and an inability to produce </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/bile-supplements/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">bile</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. These downstream effects can eventually be fatal if untreated [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10823/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mutations that shorten the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene may cause POMC deficiency, characterized by uncontrolled appetite, obesity, and adrenal insufficiency.</span></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC &amp; Weight in Humans</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deletion mutations causing POMC deficiency are extremely rare, with only about 50 known cases reported in medical literature. Researchers are currently studying many variations in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene to determine whether they may affect weight gain in more subtle ways [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/proopiomelanocortin-deficiency"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Three SNPs so far have been associated with weight and body composition to varying degrees: rs1042571-A, rs28932472-C, and rs6713532-C [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1852707/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4512097/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21211529/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15812563/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Higher POMC is generally associated with lower appetite and lower POMC is associated with higher appetite and potential for weight gain [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29858905/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your POMC Results for Weight Gain</span></h2> <p>*6727285017201425*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>POMC rs1042571</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with lower BMI; less common in obese individuals</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with higher BMI; more common in obese individuals</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 21% of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is more common in people of European (37%) and American (29%) descent and much less common in people of East Asian descent (6%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>POMC rs28932472</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with obesity and high </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cholesterol</span></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with obesity and high cholesterol in children</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele is extremely rare, only appearing in about 0.5% of all people worldwide.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele is essentially nonexistent in people of East Asian and South Asian descent and slightly more common in people of American descent (2.3%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>POMC rs6713532</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with waist to hip ratio or abdominal fat</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Slightly associated with higher waist to hip ratio and abdominal fat</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 24% of all people worldwide have the &lsquo;CC&rsquo; genotype.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;CC&rsquo; genotype is more common in people of East Asian descent (34%) and much less common in people of European descent (8.5%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>POMC rs1042571</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with normal POMC production</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with lower POMC production and potentially higher body fat in women</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 21% of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is more common in people of European (37%) and American (29%) descent and much less common in people of East Asian descent (6%).</span></li> </ul> <p>*5658771068267043*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Preventing Weight Gain</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may try the complementary approaches listed below if you and your doctor determine that they could be appropriate for you. Discuss the strategies listed here with your doctor. Remember that none of them should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes.</span></em></p> <p>*9178292095889852*</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A note: POMC neurons are activated by leptin, so theoretically, any strategy that increases leptin should also increase the activation of POMC neurons. For a more complete guide to increasing leptin, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/leptin-deficiency/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">check out this post on SelfHacked</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">!</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lifestyle</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise may activate POMC neurons in the hypothalamus, especially those with leptin receptors. These leptin receptor-expressing POMC neurons are vital for appetite control [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877818308706"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">High-intensity exercise is probably the best strategy to </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">lose weight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In addition to promoting fat burning, the increased </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/norepinephrine-stress-hormone/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">norepinephrine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> production may suppress food intake according to a study in rats [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5124188"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being active burns calories and jump-starts metabolism. Some studies suggest it also </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-natural-ways-to-increase-bdnf/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">increases </span></a><a href="../article/boost-plasticity-with-the-bdnf-gene-50"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which supports mental health and might cause us to eat less [</span><a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/neuro.24.005.2010/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">also increases </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/endorphins/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">endorphins</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which activates mu-opioid receptors and also suppresses appetite [</span><a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120717/Mu-opioid-receptors-put-brakes-on-appetite.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aerobic exercise (like walking, running, swimming, etc) has also been shown to cause major reductions in belly fat in multiple studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17637702"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21951360"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Exercise activates POMC neurons in the hypothalamus, which may help explain why exercise can reduce appetite.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moderate Sun Exposure</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some POMC neurons in the hypothalamus appear to express </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> receptors, suggesting that vitamin D may activate them. Some studies have suggested that vitamin D and ultraviolet (UV) light, both available through sun exposure, may directly stimulate POMC [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5001188/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048597/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15358786/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> deficiency is suspected to contribute to obesity in some cases, though more research is needed [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987708005288"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">UV</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is hypothesized to prevent obesity in animals, whether or not they are deficient in vitamin D [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25342734"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one study, intense light exposure, particularly in the morning, was associated with a lower BMI independent of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sleep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> duration and timing [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3973603/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Specifically, having a majority of the average daily light exposure above 500 lux earlier in the day was associated with a lower BMI [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3973603/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exposure to at least 45 minutes of morning light (between 6-9 am at 1,300 lux) for 3 weeks in obese women resulted in reduced body fat and appetite. Although encouraging, more research is needed to verify the link between </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sunlight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> exposure and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23429094/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D and UV light (both available through </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sun</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> exposure) may directly activate POMC neurons.</span></span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Positive Social Interaction</span></h4> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/the-social-chilled-out-and-empathetic-genes-oxytocin-receptor-snps/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oxytocin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> neurons and POMC neurons appear to be in close communication; when oxytocin neurons fire, they may stimulate POMC neurons [</span><a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/489263"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oxytocin is released by positive human interactions and has been shown to decrease </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-10-ways-to-curb-your-hunger-and-approaches-that-didnt-work/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">hunger</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in multiple animal studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3603288/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Love also increases </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/all-about-nerve-growth-factor-and-50-ways-to-increase-it/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which reduces appetite, and increases endorphins, which activate mu-opioid receptors [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16289361"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish &amp; Seafood</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">DHA, a prominent </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">omega-3</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> fatty acid found mostly in fish and seafood, may increase POMC production [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20714328/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish is also hypothesized to reduce leptin; higher leptin is associated with obesity. In young, overweight men, the inclusion of either lean or fatty fish or </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fish oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> as part of an energy-restricted diet resulted in approximately 1 kg more weight loss after 4 weeks compared to a similar diet without seafood or a supplement [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361771"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17502874"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spicy Foods</span></h4> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/capsaicin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Capsaicin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is believed to reduce appetite; one mechanism by which this may happen is the direct simulation of POMC neurons [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2006188"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When capsaicin activates receptors (</span><a href="https://www.selfdecode.com/gene/trpv1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TRPV1</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), it may also speed up the metabolism and increase energy expenditure [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3699483/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13129472"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22378725"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15611784"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When ingested orally with </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, capsaicin reduced appetite and food intake in humans. Early research indicates that taking capsaicin as a </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> supplement is safe, but more must be known about its effectiveness [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4477151/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5426284/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24941669/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you like spicy food, you&rsquo;re in luck: capsaicin is found in chili peppers and is responsible for their spicy flavor. The spicier the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13129472"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22378725"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Resistant Starch</span></h4> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-butyrate-derivatives-sodium-butyrate-phenylbutyrate-trybutyrine-butyric-acid-butyrate-prodrugs-butyrate-producing-bacteria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Butyrate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is believed to induce the expression of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">POMC</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3757173/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Butyrate is a fatty acid produced by good bacteria in the gut when they digest </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/what-is-resistant-starch-sources-how-to-increase-diet/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">resistant starch</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and fiber. The cells of the colon wall use this compound for energy [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502201/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some evidence suggests that resistant starch may help promote weight loss in certain circumstances. However, the research on this topic has been broadly limited to animals.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In obesity-prone rats, dietary resistant starch and regular </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> prevented weight gain, apparently by reducing energy intake [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21736742"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It reduces fat accumulation and blood </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> levels and increases the breakdown of fat through fermentation in the intestines, thus potentially improving weight control [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25966755"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23784900"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Resistant starch may stimulate fat burning by:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reducing fat accumulation and increasing fat oxidation after meals [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8263609"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forcing the body to burn fat by lowering blood glucose [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28573878"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Decreasing fat production while increasing the production of phospholipids [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27065270"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Butyrate, produced when gut bacteria digest resistant starch, may increase the expression of POMC.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green Tea</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A combination of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/caffeine-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">caffeine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, both found in green tea, increased the expression of POMC in the hypothalamus in mice [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618302470"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG caused between 0.2 and 3.5 kg of weight loss in limited human studies. Green tea, meanwhile, is hypothesized to make us burn more calories, even at rest. In most studies, this amounts to a modest 3-4% increase in energy, though some studies have shown an increase as high as 8%. For a 2,000 calorie diet, 3-4% amounts to an additional 60-80 calories per day [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19597519"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025876/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00403623"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19390166"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16176615"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17299107"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one study of 60 obese individuals, the group taking green tea extract lost 7.3lbs and burned 183 more calories per day (on average) after 3 months [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18006026"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17882140"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/caffeine-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caffeine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a well-known metabolic booster. In 12 clinical trials on 135 people, caffeine (100-600 mg/day) increased energy use and fat burning. Paradoxically, the effects were more pronounced in lean than in overweight people. Caffeine also helped maintain weight loss in 2 long-term studies on 2,500 people [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7293955"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7369170"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2912010"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2333832"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11694607"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14684395"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7485480"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7611396"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7486839"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26554757"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16076989"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Green tea contains both EGCG and caffeine, which in combination may increase POMC expression.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Probiotics</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because butyrate may increase the expression of POMC, butyrate-producing probiotics may be helpful for those with low-POMC variants [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3757173/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Certain probiotics (</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/l-gasseri/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">L. gasseri</span></em></a><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span></em><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/l-rhamnosus/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">L. rhamnosus</span></em></a><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/b-animalis/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">B. animalis</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) have been found to reduce intestinal inflammation, support gut health, and even promote weight loss [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23886977"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-12-intestinal-immune-body-weight.html#ajTabs"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><em>L. gasseri </em>significantly decreased BMI, abdominal visceral fat, waist and hip circumferences, and body fat mass in 210 healthy Japanese adults, with an 8.5% decline in abdominal fat area over twelve weeks. However, the authors warned that constant consumption of this <a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/probiotics-good-bacteria/">probiotic</a> may be required to maintain this effect [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23614897">R</a>].</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a clinical trial of 125 obese adults, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">L. rhamnosus</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> induced weight loss, reduced fat mass, and reduced circulating leptin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21505361"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">L. rhamnosus</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> CGMCC1.3724 improved liver parameters in a small trial of 20 obese children with liver dysfunction noncompliant with lifestyle interventions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24299712"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Probiotic bacteria that produce butyrate may increase POMC expression, helping to explain why some such strains are associated with weight loss.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green Coffee Extract</span></h4> <p><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/chlorogenic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chlorogenic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the active compound in green coffee extract, has been found to increase POMC in mice [</span><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19768354.2010.528192"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a clinical trial on 12 healthy volunteers, chlorogenic acid-enriched coffee increased weight loss by reducing sugar absorption. In another trial on 9 healthy volunteers, chlorogenic acids from coffee increased fat burning during sleep [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18035001"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28412986"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both green coffee extract and a natural supplement with chlorogenic acid and several plant extracts reduced body weight and blood fat levels in 2 clinical trials on 121 people with metabolic syndrome [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29307310"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25632052"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, chlorogenic acid reduced body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference in another trial on 30 people with prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29261010"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, dark roast (low in chlorogenic acid) coffee was more effective than light roast coffee at reducing body weight in a clinical trial on 30 healthy people [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21809439"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The major active compound in green coffee extract increased POMC in mice and has produced promising results in human weight management trials.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Drugs</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One case study of a child with mutated POMC found that the diabetes drug </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/uses-benefits-metformin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">metformin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> decreased appetite and food intake [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29858905/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Metformin decreased food consumption and induced weight loss in a clinical trial on 12 obese women with type 2 diabetes. Metformin may help you lose weight if you have type 2 diabetes and your doctor prescribes you this medication. You may discuss with your doctor if it may be recommended in your case [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9526970"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p>
209 | content_snp_table_6727285017201425_key == 6727285017201425
209 | content_snp_table_6727285017201425_blur == True
209 | content_snp_table_6727285017201425_hidden == False
209 | content_learn_more_5658771068267043_key == 5658771068267043
209 | content_learn_more_5658771068267043_blur == True
209 | content_learn_more_5658771068267043_hidden == False
209 | content_learn_more_5658771068267043_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your POMC gene is somewhat associated with weight gain and obesity. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of weight gain, just one gene related to it. Exercise, sun exposure, and dietary choices that activate POMC neurons may help. Keep reading to learn more.
209 | content_recommendation_9178292095889852_key == 9178292095889852
209 | content_recommendation_9178292095889852_blur == True
209 | content_recommendation_9178292095889852_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs6713532,rs1042571,rs28932472
rsStatus = rs6713532,POMC,chr2,25161964,T,A,C,G,39,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1042571,POMC,chr2,25161018,G,A,,,26,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs28932472,POMC,chr2,25161179,G,C,,,34,0,Normal
