Cortisol is one of the most powerful and important hormones in the human body.
It is produced by the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys. It helps regulate our blood sugar and immune system. It works in coordination with other hormones like adrenaline as part of the acute stress response. Cortisol is essential to our health.
The acute stress response evolved in humans to help us evade predators and enemies or do battle with them. Cortisol is part of this response – it elevates our blood sugar to provide more energy for our muscles. Insulin and glucagon are other important hormones that regulate our blood sugar, to be discussed in upcoming articles.
When the acute stress response becomes chronic, the dangerous effects of cortisol predominate. High cortisol levels over time predispose us to type 2 diabetes with its myriad of health problems. Elevated cortisol leads to a decrease in our immune function that may be life-threatening – it may lead to overwhelming infection and even cancer. Other side effects of elevated cortisol over weeks to months include fatigue, muscle and bone loss, weight gain, mood changes, thinning of the skin and acne, eye disease, including glaucoma and cataracts, and facial hair growth and irregular periods in premenopausal women.
Chronically elevated levels of cortisol are very bad for our health and even promote the aging process. This is why we need tools to bring the spike in cortisol associated with the acute stress response back down to safe levels.
The ability to quickly neutralize acute stress and prevent it from becoming chronic is of paramount important importance. This ability is called resilience.
Resilience is of the utmost importance when it comes to our health and longevity. More about how we can become more resilient in upcoming articles.
Note: Although I am a physician, the content in this article is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent illness or disease in the reader – it is for educational purposes only.
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