Adaptogens And Adrenal Fatigue | How To Control Cortisol And Stress
Cortisol And Its Role In Adrenal Fatigue
If you have adrenal fatigue it pays to get up close and personal with cortisol to understand what is happening with your system and the role it plays in adrenal fatigue syndrome.
Cortisol is a hormone commonly known as the “stress hormone“. It is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands which are located on the top of each kidney. Inside your brain is your pituitary gland that regulates how much cortisol your adrenal glands release. Both these glands are part of what is known as the HPA Axis.
Cortisol is vital for regulating your body’s anti-inflammatory processes, blood pressure, the immune function and assists your memory in its function. It helps to balance your hormones for good health.
What Else Does Cortisol Do?
Cortisol creates the energy you need for your body to function. It helps to reduce inflammation, creates high energy levels to respond to stress, and regulates your metabolism and blood sugar levels. Cortisol also controls the water and salt balance in your system, and assists in controlling blood pressure levels. It is a crucial hormone for good health and well-being, and assists the development of the fetus when you are pregnant.
How Is It Produced?
The cortisol in your adrenal glands releases when you exercise, as a response to stress and to wake you up in the morning. It also plays an important role in your nutrition by choosing the right amount and type of protein, carbohydrates or fat you need during the day to meet your demands for energy.
Cortisol is also released when you experience stress and helps to create the fight or flight response and increases energy production temporarily to meet this demand. It creates this temporary surge in energy so you can respond to the stress.
This causes a temporary biochemical and hormonal imbalance as it inhibits other processes such as insulin production not needed immediately. This imbalance should resolve itself once you no longer feel stressed.
The problem is, many of us live a fast-paced life and are constantly triggering cortisol production. The following is a breakdown of what occurs in your body when you are under stress or feel fearful or anxious:
Cortisol’s Effect On Your Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands have an important function. They produce the hormones that burn fat and protein, control blood sugar levels, and react to the stress or fear you feel.
The most important hormones produced by the adrenal glands are aldosterone and cortisol. When you have an adrenal disorder, the glands can produce too little or too much of a particular hormone. For example, adrenal fatigue is a disorder which alternative medical practitioners believe occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol and other hormones.
This happens as a result of your adrenals constantly being pushed to produce cortisol due to being under unrelenting stress. Over time, your adrenals become fatigued and are no longer able to produce hormones in the needed quantities.
Symptoms Of Low Cortisol Can Include:
If you have adrenal fatigue it pays to get up close and personal with cortisol to understand what is happening with your system and the role it plays in adrenal fatigue syndrome.
Cortisol is a hormone commonly known as the “stress hormone“. It is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands which are located on the top of each kidney. Inside your brain is your pituitary gland that regulates how much cortisol your adrenal glands release. Both these glands are part of what is known as the HPA Axis.
Cortisol is vital for regulating your body’s anti-inflammatory processes, blood pressure, the immune function and assists your memory in its function. It helps to balance your hormones for good health.
What Else Does Cortisol Do?
Cortisol creates the energy you need for your body to function. It helps to reduce inflammation, creates high energy levels to respond to stress, and regulates your metabolism and blood sugar levels. Cortisol also controls the water and salt balance in your system, and assists in controlling blood pressure levels. It is a crucial hormone for good health and well-being, and assists the development of the fetus when you are pregnant.
How Is It Produced?
The cortisol in your adrenal glands releases when you exercise, as a response to stress and to wake you up in the morning. It also plays an important role in your nutrition by choosing the right amount and type of protein, carbohydrates or fat you need during the day to meet your demands for energy.
Cortisol is also released when you experience stress and helps to create the fight or flight response and increases energy production temporarily to meet this demand. It creates this temporary surge in energy so you can respond to the stress.
This causes a temporary biochemical and hormonal imbalance as it inhibits other processes such as insulin production not needed immediately. This imbalance should resolve itself once you no longer feel stressed.
The problem is, many of us live a fast-paced life and are constantly triggering cortisol production. The following is a breakdown of what occurs in your body when you are under stress or feel fearful or anxious:
- Rush Of Hormones – A rush of hormones reacts to the stress and adrenal glands release cortisol to create the energy you need to resolve the stressful situation.
- Fight Or Flight – Cortisol prepares your body to respond to fight or flight by supplying instant energy to your large muscles using increased amounts of glucose.
- Insulin Reduction – This stops the production of insulin so the glucose in your system is available for immediate use and is not stored.
- Heart Rate Increase – It narrows the arteries and epinephrine increases your heart rate. Together they both pump blood faster through your system.
- You Meet The Stress – You face the situation causing the stress to resolve it.
- When The Stress Is Over – Your hormone levels drop to normal levels once the stress is relieved.
Cortisol’s Effect On Your Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands have an important function. They produce the hormones that burn fat and protein, control blood sugar levels, and react to the stress or fear you feel.
The most important hormones produced by the adrenal glands are aldosterone and cortisol. When you have an adrenal disorder, the glands can produce too little or too much of a particular hormone. For example, adrenal fatigue is a disorder which alternative medical practitioners believe occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol and other hormones.
This happens as a result of your adrenals constantly being pushed to produce cortisol due to being under unrelenting stress. Over time, your adrenals become fatigued and are no longer able to produce hormones in the needed quantities.
Symptoms Of Low Cortisol Can Include:
- Salt cravings
- Disturbed sleep
- Fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Body aches and pains
- Digestive problems.
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