217 | id == 217
217 | category_id == 18
217 | category_order == 15
217 | category_name == Weight
217 | category_color == #C47AC0
217 | slug == NPY-weight
217 | title == How Does the Nervous System Control Food Intake & Prevent Obesity? (NPY)
217 | meta_description == Neuropeptide Y is a signalling molecule that regulates stress & appetite. How does it affect weight gain and obesity?
217 | summary == <p><strong>Neuropeptide Y is a signalling molecule that regulates stress and appetite. How does it affect weight gain and obesity? Learn more here.</strong></p>
217 | overall_score_text == Obesity Score (based on NPY)
217 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/NPY--Weight.jpg
217 | author_id == 1
217 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
217 | author_title == BSc, BEd
217 | author_order == 36
217 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
217 | 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>
217 | reviewer == None
217 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
217 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
217 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
217 | publish_date == 2020
217 | publish_date == 6
217 | publish_date == 15
217 | avg_rating == 5.0
217 | tags_id == 494
217 | tags_name == Neuropeptide Y
217 | tags_id == 495
217 | tags_name == NPY Gene
217 | tags_id == 165
217 | tags_name == Obesity
217 | tags_id == 115
217 | tags_name == Weight Gain
217 | tags_id == 184
217 | tags_name == Weight Loss
217 | permissions_favorite == False
217 | permissions_rate == False
217 | 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 NPY?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neuropeptides are small proteins used to transmit signals in the nervous system, and neuropeptide Y (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/npy/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) is one of the most abundant of these, along with peptide YY (</span><a href="https://www.selfdecode.com/gene/pyy/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">PYY</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/pancreatic-polypeptide-function/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">pancreatic polypeptide</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (PP) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830398/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY plays a role in appetite regulation, energy balance, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sleep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> rhythms, cognition, and </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;"> reduction. Because of its wide-ranging functions, NPY is found throughout many different parts of the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830398/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20122859"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers also believe that NPY is critical for communication between the beneficial gut flora and the brain. It may help orchestrate our bodies&rsquo; immune reactions or tolerance to different species of </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/gut-bacteria-microbiome/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gut bacteria</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and it has direct antimicrobial action against pathogens like </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">E. coli</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4359909/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, in the study of obesity and weight loss, the most important functions of NPY have to do with stress and appetite.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a signalling protein that helps regulate appetite, energy balance, sleep, brain function, and stress.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stress Eating &amp; Fat Deposition</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are two major mechanisms by which elevated NPY may promote weight gain: by promoting stress eating and by directly stimulating the production of fat tissue.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY represents a link between stress and food intake, where a stress-induced increase in NPY may cause so-called &ldquo;stress eating&rdquo; [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830398/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animal research suggests that NPY can reduce feelings of stress and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-anxiety/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">anxiety</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. It is released during stressful periods and events, perhaps to counteract some of the negative physiological consequences of stress [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3609132"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10818263"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY counteracts stress in many ways, including by stimulating appetite and food intake. It may do this by decreasing the brain&rsquo;s sensitivity to </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;">, a hormone that causes feelings of fullness [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2914537/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4099511/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1642692/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to some researchers, NPY may also exert an influence on body weight by stimulating the creation of new fat cells, promoting fat storage, and helping blood vessels grow into the new fat tissues [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17603492"><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;">NPY increases in response to stress and may cause stress eating. It also seems to stimulate the deposition and growth of fat tissue.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interactions with Ghrelin</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ghrelin, the &ldquo;hunger hormone,&rdquo; sends a signal that we don&rsquo;t have enough energy, that we need to eat, and that we need to conserve our energy [</span><a href="https://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&amp;aid=927020&amp;fileId=s0007114506001978"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ghrelin favors the accumulation of stomach fat, which in turn favors the formation of liver fat and increases the risk of developing </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-tips-for-fixing-insulin-resistance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/me.2008-0432"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520055519.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chronically high levels of ghrelin have been shown to increase food intake and promote fat storage in white and brown fat cells [</span><a href="https://www.jci.org/articles/view/25811#B41"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers believe that ghrelin achieves some of these effects by increasing NPY [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877632/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caution: NPY and Depression</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we&rsquo;ve seen, higher NPY increases appetite and fat deposition, so it&rsquo;s tempting to say that low NPY is good. However, NPY is important for preventing some of the worst effects of stress [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3609132"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10818263"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY is protective against anxiety and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-depression/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">depression</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and people with low-expression variants may be more susceptible to mental illness [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20351714/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3532038/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27527739/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People with certain </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants may also be more susceptible to the physical effects of stress on the heart and nervous system [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4985655/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As such, we don&rsquo;t recommend going overboard trying to decrease NPY. If you have average or below-average expression variants of this gene, it&rsquo;s best to check out the recommendations for other genes to help meet your weight loss goals.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY Variants &amp; Obesity</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several variants in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene have been associated with weight gain, BMI, or obesity. At rs16139, the rare &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele is associated with higher BMI; at rs5574, the uncommon &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele is associated with obesity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3232624/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </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></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At rs16147, it is slightly more complicated. Here, either of the two homozygous genotypes (CC or TT) have been associated with relatively larger waist measurements compared to height, while the heterozygous genotype (CT) is associated with smaller waist to height ratio (WHR). WHR is often used as a measurement of fat deposition around the abdomen, so in this case, &lsquo;CT&rsquo; would be considered the beneficial genotype [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23652383/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, other studies have found that the &lsquo;TT&rsquo; genotype at rs16147 had the most potential for harm. It is possible that the study that found &lsquo;CT&rsquo; to be beneficial was flawed in some way [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4515864/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26240981/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your NPY Results for Obesity</span></h2> <p>*1828405688184331*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>NPY rs16139</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with lower BMI</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with higher BMI</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>NPY rs16147</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; =Associated with higher waist to height ratio (generally larger waist circumference)&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with lower waist to height ratio (generally smaller waist circumference)</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>NPY rs5574</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with obesity</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Possibly associated with obesity</span></li> </ul> <p>*7314577914268292*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Preventing Obesity</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>*7108782300917187*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lifestyle</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stress Management</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Psychological stress increases NPY, and NPY in turn increases food intake; researchers believe that this is the foundation of &ldquo;stress eating.&rdquo; In other words, NPY makes you want to eat when you&rsquo;re upset [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4830398/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chronic stress also increases the hunger hormone ghrelin, which in turn stimulates NPY [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5895712/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><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;"> is known to cause weight gain. Stress increases </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;"> and dynorphin, both of which cause weight gain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2819644/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5373497/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24123563/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It also increases </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glutamate/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glutamate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which increases appetite, while decreases </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;"> and </span><a href="../article/boost-plasticity-with-the-bdnf-gene-50"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, both of which are appetite suppressants [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16132059"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, it makes the brain resistant to </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/how-to-increase-serotonin"><span style="font-weight: 400;">serotonin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a neurotransmitter that also suppresses appetite. Stress also causes resistance to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/dopamine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">dopamine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which may cause us to eat more as we&rsquo;ll need to eat more food for the same rewarding effects [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14993070"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2255482311700200"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/10/15/31146.aspx"><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;">Stress directly increases NPY, so stress management strategies are important if you want to decrease NPY.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dietary Fiber</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one study, people with detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants responded better to increased intake of soluble fibre than those without the potentially bad alleles. Participants with detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants experienced greater decreases in all measured markers of cholesterol, sugar metabolism, and heart health when they consumed fiber in the form of psyllium husk [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3534999/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fiber, both from foods and supplements, is known to increase satiety after a meal and decreases subsequent </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;">. Studies suggest that an additional 14 g of fiber per day is associated with a 10% lower energy intake and weight loss [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11396693/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How much is 14g? To put it into perspective, in the US, the average fiber intake is around 15 g/day which is only half of the recommended amount [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11396693/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a meta-analysis of 62 trials with over 3,800 people, soluble fiber modestly but significantly improved body weight and decreased waist circumference even without calorie restriction [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31897475/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vegetables are rich in soluble fiber, which has been shown to cause weight loss in some studies. Fiber gets broken down by bacteria in the digestive tract to produce </span><a href="https://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;">, which has weight loss effects in animals [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566639790091X"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18031592"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21810257"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699871/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low Energy Density Foods</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People with detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants may respond better to and lose more weight from low-calorie diets [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27599771/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some human research suggests that eating the exact same food, except made in a soup instead of as solid food, makes people feel more satiated and eat significantly fewer calories [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10500012/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2128765/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The idea is that soup has a very low energy density; that is, you would have to eat much more soup by weight than other foods to get the same number of calories. In several human studies, dieters who ate less energy dense foods lost more weight than those who ate foods with a high energy density [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9806313"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17556681"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17062810"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one study, women who ate low energy density soup lost 50% more weight than women who ate an energy-dense snack [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15976148">R</a>].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">People with detrimental <em>NPY</em> variants may respond better than others to dietary fiber (such as from psyllium husk) and low-calorie diets.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Berberine</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In rats, feeding a </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/low-carb-diet-vs-high-carb-diet/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">high-fat diet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> increases NPY levels; this increase was reversed in those given supplemental berberine [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5644798/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/19-health-benefits-of-berberine-with-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Berberine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is an alkaloid with potent metabolic effects. People use berberine as a supplement to support weight control and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> metabolism.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Berberine supplementation reduced BMI and enhanced leptin sensitivity in 37 patients with metabolic syndrome. In another study, it caused an average</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;"> of 5 lbs (2.3 kg) and lowered blood lipids [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310165/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22739410"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a 2020 review of human and animal studies, berberine might contribute to weight loss by improving </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/how-your-gut-microbiota-can-make-you-fat-or-thin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gut microbiota</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and glucose and fat metabolism [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32353823/"><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;">Berberine, a popular supplement for weight loss, decreased NPY in rats fed a high-fat diet.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In rats, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> normalized </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> expression which had been dysregulated by a high-fat diet [</span><a href="https://www.fasebj.org/doi/full/10.1096/fj.201700400RR"><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. </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, 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><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a review of 11 studies, green tea extract or </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can slightly improve weight loss and maintenance. However, a Cochrane database review of 14 studies regarded the change in weight as nonsignificant in most studies, so the evidence is inconclusive [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19597519/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23235664/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The majority of weight loss trials used special extracts with higher concentrations of active ingredients (catechins and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/caffeine-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">caffeine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), compared with regular tea. Hence, it may be necessary to take an EGCG-rich green tea extract for beneficial effects [</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></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">EGCG, the most important active compound in green tea and a promising supplement for weight management programs, may help normalize NPY levels.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">CLA</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conjugated linoleic acids (</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/conjugated-linoleic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CLA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) are poly-unsaturated fatty acids. In rats, CLA injected into the brain decreased expression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. CLA can cross the blood-brain barrier, so this study may help explain CLA&rsquo;s possible uses in weight management [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17466453/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2019.00370/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study done in overweight Chinese subjects found that CLA supplementation (twice daily dissolved in milk) helped with weight loss over a 12-week period [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22261578"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The supplementation was found to reduce body weight, reduce BMI, reduce total fat mass, and reduce fat percentage [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22261578"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The treatment also reduced waist to hip ratio and reduced subcutaneous fat mass [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22261578"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies have shown that CLAs decrease lipid storage by increasing the rate of fat breakdown in fat tissue [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23956445"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It should be noted, though, that in a similar study, CLA supplementation did not prevent weight or fat regain in obese peoples after initial weight loss [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14506488"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16522907"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It should also be noted that some studies have found no association between CLA and weight loss [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16522907"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17381964"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15277146"><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;">Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) directly decrease expression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPY </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">in the brain. Supplementation with CLA has produced some positive results in clinical weight loss trials.</span></span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Drugs</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In rats, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/uses-benefits-metformin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">metformin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> directly decreases NPY expression in the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hypothalamus-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">hypothalamus</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with the most marked reduction 4 hours after consuming the drug [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146045/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/uses-benefits-metformin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Metformin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> decreased food consumption and induced weight loss in a clinical trial on 12 obese women with type 2 diabetes. Metformin may help you </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;"> 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>
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217 | content_learn_more_7314577914268292_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your NPY gene is associated with roughly average rates of stress eating and weight gain. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of obesity, just one gene related to it. Stress management strategies and certain supplements may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs16147,rs16139,rs5574
rsStatus = rs16147,NPY,chr7,24283791,T,A,C,,29,0,Normal
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rsStatus = rs5574,NPY,chr7,24289514,C,A,G,T,34,0,Normal
