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Cortisol is also referred to as the stress hormone. It acts on the adrenal glands and can be quite helpful in terms of temporary hazards. Long-term stress can lead to a high level of cortisol; this constant high level of a hormone that should only be produced sparingly can lead to serious health issues over time.
Benefits of Cortisol
Cortisol can actually save your life or the life of someone around you. If you’ve heard anecdotal tales of someone moving very quickly or lifting something very heavy to save another person, it was cortisol giving them that power.
Stress response
There are corticosteroid receptors in nearly all the tissues in your body. If you’ve ever had a near-miss car accident or slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a dog, you know that your whole body can feel agitated, even if no accident occurs.
Regulation of metabolism
Those who don’t suffer from chronic stress can find that working out when cortisol levels are naturally high can help lose extra fat. Keeping your cortisol levels in check can also help you take off extra pounds and maintain the weight loss. It’s cortisol that makes it easier for your body to gain all the benefits of the food you ingest by successfully controlling nutrient metabolism.
Anti-inflammatory effects
The majority of healthy cortisol production occurs after waking. If you’re able to manage your stress levels effectively, the cortisol drop later in the day will reduce the risk of tissue inflammation. Moving your body when cortisol levels are naturally high can also help to lower the risk of inflammation.
Blood pressure regulation
Healthy cortisol levels allow blood pressure to even out and even drop as you approach bedtime. Stress management tools, from exercise to laughter to meditation, can help you lower your cortisol level and, thus, your blood pressure naturally.
Energy levels
High levels of cortisol late in the day are not part of a normal, healthy steroid release in humans. Cortisol naturally rises in the morning; in fact, more than half of a healthy cortisol production should occur within 2 hours of waking. If you have stressors in your life that cause you to maintain a consistently high level of cortisol, it can impact your sleep, weight, and brain health.
Disadvantages of Cortisol
Chronic stress
Biologically, humans were able to rely on cortisol when things got very dangerous. If a predator was chasing you, cortisol might be enough to get you to safety. In our modern lives, predatory pressures can come from a variety of sources. An abusive partner, a stressful job, or a nasty boss can all cause you to suffer from high levels of cortisol all day long. Your physical and mental health can both suffer.
Immune system suppression
One of the biggest problems those with high cortisol experience is that they aim to soothe themselves with food. Comfort foods, such as those high in starches and sugars, are very tough on the body and the immune system. With high cortisol, you’re already at risk of inflammation, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.
Once these factors are in place, your risk of effective immune responses to toxins, bacteria, or viruses drops. Allergic responses will be worse. If you do catch something, it will take longer to get over it. You may be at greater risk of secondary infection.
Inhibition of hormone secretion
Once your cortisol is high, other hormones that can help you manage stress may be slower to release. Dopamine responses may take longer or be less effective. HGH hormones, which adults need to build muscle, burn fat, and metabolize nutrients, may slow down.
If you struggle with poor sleep, cortisol could be the culprit. Supplements such as Sermorelin can help bring your HGH levels back up to normal over time. There’s no speedy fix to the damage done by high cortisol levels, but the Sermorelin benefits timeline indicates that relief is possible.
Sleep disruptions
We know that good sleep is hard to find during times of extreme stress. Unfortunately, the hormones that fire up when we’re under stress can actually limit the healing that sleep provides. Not being able to drop into the deepest level of sleep can increase the risk of dementia, heart attack, and stroke. Poor sleep can also make it tough to make smart, quick decisions.
Cognitive impairments
Mental connections can become very foggy when we’re under a lot of stress. It’s hard to look long-term when your brain and body are telling you that you’re not safe right now. You may lean on caffeine to stay alert because you’re not sleeping well, but that will only make you agitated. The focus will be harder to find.
High levels of cortisol can make it tough to make memories that stick. You can forget tasks and feel out of control. If your work or home environment is only adding stress to your life, your ability to come up with a plan to make things better can be nearly impossible.
Mood swings
Beating the stress and finding a solution can give you a rush, similar to a coffee loaded with sugary syrup. Sadly, when the stress hits again, the low you suffer can leave you despairing or enraged. Long-term exposure to high cortisol never leads to good decisions.
If you’re putting on weight, craving unhealthy foods, or just feeling wrung out, it’s time to get some blood work done. There are ways to get your stress under control. You can also make dietary changes to naturally lower excess cortisol levels. Supplements can help to balance your hormones.
