Research

Hormonal

Yoga interventions significantly reduce serum leptin levels and increase serum adiponectin levels in individuals with obesity or metabolic syndrome.

If you have obesity or metabolic syndrome, incorporating yoga into your routine may help improve your hormonal balance by lowering leptin (which drives hunger) and raising adiponectin (which fights inflammation). For best results, look for programs that combine yoga with dietary changes, as the hormonal benefits appear stronger when diet is also addressed.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The majority of studies reviewed demonstrated that yoga significantly decreases leptin levels and increases adiponectin levels.
Rinne Shimizu et al. · Cureus · 2025

Why this rating

The evidence is based on a narrative review of 12 studies with varying designs (RCTs, pre-post) and inconsistent protocols, limiting high-confidence causal inference.

Source

The Effects of Yoga on Key Adipocytokines in Obesity: A Narrative Review of Leptin and Adiponectin

Rinne Shimizu et al. · Cureus · 2025

DOI 10.7759/cureus.76792

narrative_reviewCited 4×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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