220 | id == 220
220 | category_id == 18
220 | category_order == 15
220 | category_name == Weight
220 | category_color == #C47AC0
220 | slug == CNTF-weight
220 | title == How Does This Brain Signal Cause Weight Loss Without Leptin? (CNTF)
220 | meta_description == CNTF is a neurotrophic factor that protects tissues from damage & drastically reduces appetite. Could it help manage obesity?
220 | summary == <p><strong>CNTF is a neurotrophic factor that protects tissues from damage and drastically reduces appetite. Could it help manage obesity and improve weight loss outcomes? Read on to find out.</strong></p>
220 | overall_score_text == Weight Score (based on CNTF)
220 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/CNTF--Weight.jpg
220 | author_id == 1
220 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
220 | author_title == BSc, BEd
220 | author_order == 36
220 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
220 | 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>
220 | reviewer == None
220 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
220 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
220 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
220 | publish_date == 2020
220 | publish_date == 6
220 | publish_date == 17
220 | avg_rating == 5.0
220 | tags_id == 200
220 | tags_name == Appetite
220 | tags_id == 498
220 | tags_name == CNTF Gene
220 | tags_id == 500
220 | tags_name == Neurotransmitters
220 | tags_id == 499
220 | tags_name == Neurotrophic Factors
220 | tags_id == 115
220 | tags_name == Weight Gain
220 | tags_id == 184
220 | tags_name == Weight Loss
220 | permissions_favorite == False
220 | permissions_rate == False
220 | 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 CNTF?</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">encodes </span><a href="https://www.selfdecode.com/gene/cntf/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ciliary neurotrophic factor</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (also abbreviated CNTF), a hormone that stimulates the growth of neurons and the production of some neurotransmitters [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1270"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF is best-known for its function in the eye, where it protects the retina from damage and degeneration. Animal and cell studies have found that introducing CNTF to eye tissue was able to both prevent and help repair damage [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3288688/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1383495/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers have also found that genetic variants in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> affected the way people responded to aerobic </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;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193032/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does CNTF Affect Weight Gain?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF is an anorectic: a compound that reduces appetite and prevents us from eating. The most common and best-known anorectic is leptin, the major hormone responsible for making us feel full [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3359614/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633986/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, much to their surprise, researchers have discovered that CNTF&rsquo;s anorectic effects have nothing to do with </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;">. This makes CNTF a very promising target for people who struggle with </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight gain</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/the-root-causes-of-leptin-resistance-and-12-ways-to-reverse-it/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">leptin resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3359614/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One clinical trial investigated the effect of supplemental CNTF on 173 obese patients. Those who received CNTF lost weight over the course of the 12 week treatment period, while those on a placebo did not. What&rsquo;s more, patients receiving a higher dose (1-2 micrograms vs. 0.3 micrograms) lost more weight [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12684362/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This study opens the door to the possibility of one day using CNTF as a treatment for obesity. It also strongly suggests that high-expression </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> genetic variants could confer protection against weight gain [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12684362/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633986/"><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;">CNTF protects eye tissues from damage, affects response to exercise, and reduces the desire to eat. Researchers have begun to study whether CNTF can be used to treat obesity.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF Variants &amp; Weight</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One variant in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene, rs1800169, is associated with weight gain. One study found that the uncommon &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele at this SNP has been linked to increased weight gain, but this effect only reached significance in women [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19833146/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In men, the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele at rs1800169 is only significantly associated with weight gain when combined with the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele at rs1800795, a variant of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL6</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19833146/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The authors of the study concluded that the weight regulation effects of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are different in men and women, though they did not speculate on exactly why this difference might exist [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19833146/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your CNTF Results for Weight Gain</span></h2> <p>*4970510832869819*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>CNTF rs1800169</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with unusual weight gain.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with increased weight gain in women; only associated with weight gain in men when combined with high </span><a href="../../article/il6-longevity-66"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL6</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Only about 22% 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 significantly less common in people of African descent (7%).</span></li> </ul> <p>*1719850946329801*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Weight Loss</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>*6018683909140856*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spicy Food</span></h4> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/capsaicin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Capsaicin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activates receptors (</span><a href="https://www.selfdecode.com/gene/trpv1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TRPV1</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) that appear to increase CNTF activity in some parts of the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6526113/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">TRPV1 activation may speed up the metabolism, increase energy expenditure, and reduce appetite [</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> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Spicy foods activate TRPV1 receptors, which increase CNTF activity in some parts of the brain, accelerate metabolism, and increase energy expenditure.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green Tea</span></h4> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the primary polyphenol in green tea, may increase the expression of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNTF </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5840977/"><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><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a review of 11 studies, green tea extract or EGCG 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 major active compound in green tea, may increase CNTF expression and improve weight loss.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cinnamon</span></h4> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/some-preservatives-block-inflammation-and-autoimmune-disease/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sodium benzoate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a compound that is produced when our bodies digest and process cinnamon, may increase the expression of CNTF in the brain. Sodium benzoate is also a common food preservative [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4644097/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplementation with cinnamon improved body weight and BMI in a meta-analysis of weight loss studies. Best results were achieved with dosages of at least 2 grams per day, which is more than you would usually consume if you were just using cinnamon as a cooking spice [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30799194/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p>
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220 | content_learn_more_1719850946329801_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your CNTF gene is somewhat associated with abnormal weight gain. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of obesity, just one gene related to it. Spicy food, green tea, and cinnamon supplements may help. Keep reading to learn more.
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rsIDs = rs1800795,rs1800169
rsStatus = rs1800795,IL6,chr7,22727026,C,G,T,,6,27,HET
rsStatus = rs1800169,CNTF,chr11,58624028,G,A,,,37,0,Normal
