Cortisol was discovered in the mid-20th century, but in the last year or so, this naturally occurring hormone has entered the limelight of social media. You can find videos on TikTok discussing "cortisol face" with millions of views and several Reddit threads of users trying to regulate their cortisol levels. While cortisol supplements can be the right choice in some situations, it's essential to understand the myriad factors that come into play. To help you understand how this hormone works in your body and if the supplements are worth any consideration, we talked to experts. Here's what we found.
What is cortisol, and how is it related to stress?
Cortisol is often called the "stress hormone" and is released by the adrenal glands -- part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a bodily system that regulates the stress response -- when our bodies experience stress. It helps our bodies respond to threatening experiences while managing several facets of our biology.
Cortisol regulates blood sugar, suppresses inflammation, regulates metabolism, is involved in our circadian rhythms and influences the fight-or-flight reaction. It's essential for survival. Because cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone, and most of our body tissue has glucocorticoid receptors, cortisol can have a broad and ubiquitous effect throughout the body.
Dietary aspects can also influence our cortisol levels, according to Diogo Barardo, Ph.D., director of R&D at biotechnology company Novos Core. For instance, higher levels of sugar and saturated fats in a diet can negatively increase cortisol levels. Conversely, a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may lower cortisol levels.
Beyond diet, though, several other factors can influence your cortisol levels. These factors include some medications, alcohol, caffeine, adrenal gland tumors, athletic activity, pregnancy and a variety of health conditions.
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High cortisol symptoms
"Excessively high cortisol levels, especially when sustained over time, can be damaging. Chronic high cortisol can also negatively affect metabolic health by promoting insulin resistance and inflammatory processes," said Barardo. In some cases, high cortisol levels could be a sign of Cushing disease, also known as hypercortisolism, a progressive pituitary disease that causes the body to overproduce cortisol.
Symptoms of high cortisol can vary between individuals. They include weight gain in the face and abdomen, fat buildup under the shoulder blades, purple stretchmarks across the abdomen, decreasing muscle strength, high blood sugar, hypertension, excessive hair growth in women and osteoporosis. Mental symptoms can include brain fog, memory issues and irritability. While this captures many of the possible symptoms, it may not contain all of them. In many cases, people will only experience some of these symptoms when they have high cortisol.
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