Zoning in on Cortisol

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a built-in stress alarm system? Well, you do! It’s called cortisol. More popularly known as the stress hormone, it determines our body’s response to stress. It is necessary for your “fight or flight” response, which is your natural response to perceived stress.

Cortisol works with your brain to control your mood, motivation, and fear. When you find yourself stressed, it is also able to slow down the functions that would be non-essential or harmful in highly stressful scenarios. For example, it can suppress the digestive system, but can also trigger the release of glucose from your liver for fast energy during a stressful situation.

But beyond being associated with stress, there’s so much more that cortisol does for your body.

Did you know that the word adrenaline comes from adrenal glands? Makes sense since it’s also the same gland that produces cortisol. Having the perfect balance of cortisol greatly impacts our health as it affects every organ system in our body!  

Cortisol helps in regulating your metabolism. It helps control how your body uses carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It also helps suppress inflammation and boosts your immune system in short spurts.

It also regulates your blood pressure and blood sugar levels by releasing stored glucose when it is low.

Cortisol also helps you control your sleep cycles and waking up patterns. You would usually have lower cortisol levels at night when you go to sleep, as well as peak cortisol levels in the morning right before you wake up. This indicates that cortisol has an important role in your circadian rhythms.

Who would’ve thought that this hormone can be quite the gamechanger for our bodies? 

Our bodies are amazing—we generally produce the right amount of cortisol to keep us healthy, but there are instances when we have too much or too little cortisol.

One of the ways to tell if your body is producing too much cortisol is when you have sudden breakouts of acne or if you’ve noticed some weight gain around your abdomen and face. Women may also experience irregular menstrual periods.

Remember that when stressors are constantly present, your fight-or-flight reaction stays permanently switched on. So, it’s best to be mindful of what your triggers are.

You may have too little cortisol if you experience continued tiredness, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, muscle weakness, and abdominal pain.

We’ve compiled a few helpful tips to keep your cortisol levels balanced and within the optimum range:

• Get a good night’s sleep. Maintaining a healthy sleeping pattern to make sure your cortisol levels are at their intended levels. The lack of sleep and other sleep-related conditions are tied to high cortisol levels.
• Get moving. Physical exercise is an antidote for stress. You can focus on low- to moderate-intensity workouts, making sure to have adequate rest in between workouts.
• Be present. Mindfulness can be practiced in more ways than one. Remember to take deep breaths when you are faced with a challenging situation. Try to also catch yourself if you have stressful thinking patterns—you can control the situation and prevent it from becoming worse.
• Nourish yourself with good food. Foods such as avocados, almonds, citrus fruits, bananas, spinach, and dark chocolate are known to maintain healthy cortisol levels.
• Just have fun. Maintaining healthy relationships and pursuing leisure activities are surefire ways to combat stress.

When you know the kind of control cortisol has on your body, it helps to be even more aware of stressful situations and more importantly, how you respond to these situations. Remember, there are things you can easily do for yourself to balance your cortisol levels! 

References

• Stress and hormones. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2011.
• Does Cortisol Affect Weight Gain? Healthline, 2020.
• Cortisol. You and Your Hormones, 2019.
• "Philippines is The Most Stressed-Out Nation in Southeast Asia", Gallup Survey Said. SEAAsia.com, 2022.