Cortisol: The Body’s Alarm System

Think of Cortisol as nature’s in-built alarm system. It is your body’s main stress hormones & coordinates with some parts of the brain to impact your mood, motivation & fear.

Cortisol is formed in your adrenal glands at the top of Kidneys. It aids in fueling the body’s fight or flight instinct at the time of crisis. It performs some very important role in number of function your body performs such as:

1. Manages how your body uses various macronutrients- fats, carbs & protein
2. Manages & controls inflammation
3. Regulates blood pressure
4. Controls your sleep cycle
5. Augments your energy to tackle stress

Your hypothalamus & pituitary glands both located in your brain evaluates if your blood has the right level of cortisol. If your cortisol is low, the brain gets signals which are picked by your adrenal glands & adjust the amount of hormones it makes. These glands fine tune the amount of cortisol they release.

Cortisol receptors which are there in every cell of your body receives & uses hormones in different ways. If your body is on high alert, Cortisol can shut down functions which come in the way such as digestive system, immune system &/or growth processes. After the danger is passed, your Cortisol level reverts to its right level & therefore heart, blood pressure & other functions become normal. However if you are in constant stress, your Cortisol level is high & it could have negative impact on your body functions & can lead to various health problems such as:

1. Heart Disease
2. Anxiety
3. Depression
4. Digestive issues
5. Sleeping issues
6. Memory problem
7. Weight gain

Tumor in your Pituitary gland can make your body produce too much Cortisol. This can lead to rapid weight grain, skin that bruises easily, diabetes & various other health issues. If your body makes too less of this hormone, it can lead to Addison’s disease. Some of symptoms include:

1. Muscle weakness that becomes worse over time.
2. Fatigue
3. Low blood Pressure
4. Low appetite
5. Diarrhoea & Vomiting

So how do you optimize your Cortisol level?

1. Getting adequate sleep: Timing, quality & length of sleep impacts Cortisol levels. People who sleep at day instead of night can observe an increase in Cortisol levels. Excess sleep & sleep deprivation also leads to high Cortisol levels. Besides rotational shift also impacts normal hormonal patterns leading to fatigue & other problems associated with increased cortisol levels. To optimize your sleep, specifically if you have rotational shift, try to do the following:
   • Be active when you are awake, indulge in 1 hour workout & have a standard bed time.
   • Avoid Caffeine at night.
   • Turn off television screens/laptop screens several minutes before you go to sleep.
   • If shift working cuts your sleep or leads to sleep deficit, prefer having small naps to reduce sleepiness & fatigue.
2. Workout: Indulge in workout but not in excess. Intense exercises increase Cortisol level shortly after, however it decreases during night time. Regular intense workout optimizes size of Cortisol response. Doing workouts at 50% to 75% of maximum capacity does not increase Cortisol level & remains low during night time.
3. Mindfulness-based stress reduction: Stressful thinking increases our Cortisol level. Mindfulness-based stress reduction is a strategy that involves becoming more self-aware of stress-provoking thoughts and reducing anxiety.
4. Relaxation exercises: Indulging in relaxation exercises such as deep breathing , yoga, meditation can reduce stress & improve Cortisol levels.
5. Maintain healthy relationships: Friends & family are a great source of happiness as well as stress. Maintaining a good & happy relationship with closed ones goes a long way in reducing your Cortisol levels. Conflict in couples leads to spike on cortisol level on a short term basis & sooner returns to normal 
6. Eat Healthy foods: Sugar is one of vital food items which leads to release of Cortisol. Regular high sugar consumption will keep your Cortisol at abnormally high levels. This specifically is true in case of people suffering from Obesity. In some specific situations, sugar is said to reduce Cortisol level in response to some stressful events. Some specific food items can improve Cortisol levels:
   • Dark Chocolate
   • Green Tea
   • Water
   • Probiotics such as Yogurt, Kimchi & Prebiotics such as Soluble Fiber which provide food for these bacteria
   • Fruits such as Banana & Pear