Historically, I haven't been great about managing my stress and anxiety, so whenever I come across a video or article about cortisol imbalances, my interest is piqued. Since cortisol is also called the "stress hormone," this content has made me wonder: Is my stress causing my cortisol levels to rise? Though I was nervous, I decided to take Quest's Cortisol Blood Stress Hormone Test, which was offered to me for free, to find out more.
After my cortisol blood test, I had a lot of residual questions about cortisol. That's why I spoke with several doctors to find out everything we should all know about cortisol and how it affects our bodies.
What is cortisol?
"Cortisol is an essential hormone produced and released by adrenal glands," said Dr. Sanjay Dixit, medical director of cardiometabolic endocrine and wellness solutions at Quest Diagnostics and medical expert for questhealth.com, in an email. "Many people associate cortisol as being the 'stress hormone,' but it actually has many additional important functions."
In addition to managing the body's response to stress, cortisol regulates blood sugar and blood pressure, the sleep-wake cycle and metabolism while suppressing inflammation.
"It is most commonly known as the 'stress hormone' because it's released in response to stress and works to prepare the body for 'fight-or-flight,'" added Dr. Sajad Zalzala, co-founder and chief medical officer of longevity platform AgelessRx, via email. "It increases glucose availability, which supplies energy and mobilizes stored fats and proteins to provide additional fuel."
Should you get a cortisol test?
Dixit explained that someone could get a cortisol test to see if they have a cortisol deficiency, also known as adrenal insufficiency. Symptoms of this can include:
Fatigue or being overly tired
Worsening muscle weakness
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