The Role of Cortisol
Cortisol is commonly viewed in a negative light because of its well known nickname, “the stress hormone,” but it is important to remember that stress is a healthy and critical part of everyday life. It allows us to perform, stay alert, boost energy and at an ancestral level, protect ourselves.
But what is cortisol’s connection to stress and what does it actually do in the body?
Explore the science of cortisol, its relation to stress, how cortisol impacts hormones and how I measure cortisol using the DUTCH Test, symptoms of high and low cortisol, and how to balance it!
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a type of hormone that your adrenal glands (small, triangular shaped structures above your kidneys) produce and release throughout your body. It sends messages to other structures, systems and organs to always find a balance, or homeostasis, to help support your everyday life.
Some of cortisol’s main roles include:
Regulating stress response a.k.a “fight or flight”
Reducing inflammation
Reducing inflammation benefits the body overall, but specifically it protects the immune system
Regulating blood sugar
As a result, it impacts your metabolism
Controls sleep-wake cycle
Cortisol levels peak in the morning and gradually decreases throughout the day
Cortisol communicates with almost all tissues in the body; when these roles are out of balance, it can create a health decline. For example, spending a long time in a stress response from experiencing common daily stressors paired with no restorative rest, wreaks havoc between cortisol’s conversations with your tissues.
Cortisol’s Relation to Stress
Due to stress being a blanket term for many symptoms and feelings, it can be confusing to understand what is truly going on in the body and the connection between stress and cortisol.
The Cleveland Clinic describes three kinds of stress:
Acute stress
This type of stress is felt when you are in danger for a short amount of time. For example, being chased by a dog or jumping out of an airplane.
Chronic stress
Chronic stress is long-term and associated with having a high-stress or difficult job, financial difficulties, relationship problems, and other situations that are anxiety-producing. Chronic stress has become popular in the media because of the symptoms that individuals experience and its link to high levels of cortisol.
Traumatic stress
Generally and broadly speaking, individuals that experience traumatic stress have undergone situations that induce intense feelings of fear and helplessness. Situations include car accidents, natural disasters, war, sexual assault, and other examples of tramatic events.
Since your body continuously monitors cortisol levels in order to remain in homeostasis, it plays a role in each of these three kinds of stress. Poor diet, excessive screen time, and not getting enough sleep are examples of lifestyle habits that can lead to chronic stress overtime.
Hormones
Hormones are masterminds in communication as they travel freely throughout the bloodstream to carry messages to organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues. Since cortisol is a type of hormone and is regulated by the pituitary gland or commonly known as the “master” gland of the endocrine system (hormone-producing glands and systems), getting hormones tested can be greatly beneficial.
Through hormone testing, you can pinpoint what is causing symptoms and imbalances. In my Root Cause Hormone Package, I target symptoms and curate individualized treatment plans using the DUTCH Test. The DUTCH Test is the most comprehensive method of testing and it measures your sex and adrenal hormones and their metabolites, as well as relevant nutrients and neurotransmitters…. this includes CORTISOL! With this test, I help my clients understand their body through their individual results.
Symptoms of Low and High Cortisol
Symptoms of High Cortisol
Dr. Will Cole is a leading functional medicine expert that started one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers, and in an interview, Dr. Cole breaks down some key points and symptoms of cortisol.
Weight gain (particularly around the abdomen area)
Difficulty sleeping
High blood pressure
Mood swings such as anxiety
Menstrual regularities or complete loss of period (amenorrhea)
Symptoms of Low Cortisol
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Weight loss
Low blood pressure
Mood swings such as irritability and depression
Daily Practices to Keep Cortisol in Optimal Range
Your body wants to be healthy and it is a lot smarter than we give it credit for! As a way to keep cortisol in an optimal range, here are some habits to prioritize daily :
Eating whole and nutritious foods
Sleep is so important! Getting 7-9 hours of sleep will help regulate your hormones and balance your cortisol levels throughout the day
Manage stress through meditation, mindfulness practices, and working out
Prioritize movement
Cut down on screen time
Stress is a part of daily life and identifying ways in which you are in control of certain lifestyle stressors will allow you to see cortisol in a way that is helpful to your body. We would not be able to live a healthy, balanced, and strong life without cortisol!
It is crucial to make sure there are no underlying issues that would affect our body's way of communication, and I provide the tools and the knowledge through my Root Cause Hormone Package to not only get to the root cause of issues, but to finally live well.