Fewer energy, more fat and mood at freezing? The culprit may be cortisol

He is our inner “wake -up” and stress manager. Alarm system. A hormone that connects the mind and body.

We are talking about cortisol that helps the body to cope with stressful situations. However, this does not mean that when its level rises, we automatically experience psychological stress. Its values ​​in the body change during the day – they are governed by a well -established mechanism. Circadian rhythm.

The highest cortisol level is between six and eight o’clock in the morning – that’s why we wake up and feel alert. In the evening his level naturally decreases and allows us to fall asleep.

When we experience stress, the pituitary size of the pea size in the brain signals the adrenal glands to eliminate and supply cortisol to our blood circulation. Whether when meeting with a bear, a quarrel with a partner, or even when we find an unpleasant work email – the more threatening the event we perceive, the more cortisol we produce.

It helps to mobilize the energy we need to stand up or run away from the danger. In addition, it affects our immune system and suppresses inflammation in the body.

It’s our friend. But only until it is too much or too much.

What happens when cortisol is not just just that

You may start to notice that it’s hard to fall asleep and you often wake up at night. You may feel tension and exhaustion, your skin is fragile as paper, and even the finest touch will leave you a bruise monument. You are starting to suffer physically and mentally.

The symptoms mentioned may be a signal that cortisol levels in your body are not normal. In the case of increased cortisol, as warning characters They also report:

• Increase in body weight – especially in the abdomen (so -called visceral fat)
• wide, purple stretch marks on the abdomen,
• fat deposits between shoulder blades,
• acne, redness and rounding of the face,
• muscle weakness (especially arms and thighs),
• High blood sugar levels (which often turns into diabetes 2. type),
• high blood pressure.

Signs of low cortisol levels (often associated with Addison’s disease) are the other way around:

• fatigue and irritability,
• unintentional weight loss,
• difficulty in concentrating and feeling of burnout,
• Loss of appetite,
• low blood pressure.

Long -term worries and a sense of danger – whether it is real or only in your imagination, can increase the threshold of cortisol by up to 50 percent. Chronic stress and fear, as well as lack of sleep or exaggerated exercise, maintain stress hormones in the system for too long.

When the adrenal glands produce cortisol almost continuously, it is as if the body was running at full gas without a break. Stress hormone increases blood sugar, which can over time lead to the body stops responding to insulin correctly and develops insulin resistance in our country. In addition, high cortisol is a burden for the head. It can affect the brain by developing depression or anxiety.

In rare cases, people who are produced by excessive amounts of cortisol may show a cluster of all these symptoms known as Cushing’s syndrome. The cause may be:

• Taking high doses of corticosteroid drugs, e.g. prednisone,
• tumors that produce the hormone ACTH,
• Adrenal tumors that cause excess cortisol.

Can cortisol levels be lowered?

It is important to remember that cortisol increases and decreases during the day, its measurement or use of supplements that claim that cortisol levels will balance, so it may not be most effective.

There are many theories and guaranteed advice on how to keep cortisol control – for example, you may have heard that you can lower its level with a cup of green tea or eating dark chocolate. But it’s not that simple.

You should take into account your overall lifestyle to understand that various stress factors contribute to increased cortisol, says Yufang Lin for Cleveland Clinic.

Once you find a strategy to relieve stress, your cortisol levels can potentially become more stable. These strategies recommends to divide into three main categories:

1. Lifestyle changes

The inclusion of physical activity Among everyday activities, it demonstrably helps to reduce cortisol in the body. Likewise, a sufficiently long and regular sleep, time spent in nature in the fresh air and training of mindfulness that can be practiced through yoga, breathing exercises or meditation.

2. Balanced diet

Research suggestsThat consumption of foods rich in anti -inflammatory properties can soothe your body and slow the production of cortisol. These are mainly magnesium-rich foods (avocado, bananas, broccoli, spinach), foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (fish, chia or flax seeds, nuts) and probiotic foods (Greek yoghurt, kombucha, sauerkraut). The basis is to maintain a balanced diet low in sugar and salt.

3. Herbs and natural accessories

Healthy cortisol levels help According to some studies For example, to maintain herbs such as lemon balm or chamomile or adaptogens (substances that promote the natural resistance of the body against stress) such as Ashwagandha (Indian ginseng) or Rhodiola (pink.

« There is no food, a tablet or activity that would take you to perfect inner comfort. But healthy habits can help your body to handle stress much better – especially in the long run, » the doctor warns.

How is cortisol measured?

If you suspect you have a high cortisol, there are different methods to measure its levels. However, the doctor is always decided by the doctor.

Blood tests are commonly used, and the determination of cortisol in urine helps to distinguish healthy patients from patients with Cushing syndrome. Usually, a 24-hour urine collection is performed.

The detection of cortisol in saliva is beneficial for children, patients with psychiatric disorders and persons who may affect various stress factors and cause adrenal steroids to increase – cortisol. It is done several times during the day to see if the levels are higher even at a time when they should be low (eg in the evening).

A simple and acceptable alternative is to obtain cortisol from a hair sample, but this method is mainly used in research environments.

« It is not difficult to test cortisol levels but it is not easy to interpret them, » he says for The New York Times Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine specializing in endocrinology Mihail Zilbermint.

However, if you are concerned about possible cortisol levels, because you observe several of the above symptoms, you should first contact your general practitioner. Otherwise, cortisol should not be exaggerated. The stress of stress from stress hormone will only lead to greater stress – if higher cortisol.

DOI: 10.3390/NU111112563

DOI: 10.1016/J.XJEP.2022.100592