60 Capsules
Cortisol

Click Here For Our Recommended Cortisol Blocker!Cortisol in small amounts is needed by the body to control carbohydrate metabolism, cardiovascular function and inflammation. Too much cortisol is not good for our body, and in fact is known to promote weight gain, cause persistent fatigue, raise blood sugar levels and more. It is therefore, important that we take the necessary steps to control our cortisol levels so that we can lead healthier lives.

What Is The Cortisol Hormone?
Cortisol is a hormone released by your adrenal glands in response to either physical or emotional stress and thus, is referred to as the "stress" hormone. Whether it's a lot of missed nights of sleep, an extremely low calorie diet or getting caught in a traffic jam, your body responds in much the same way. It secretes cortisol into your bloodstream, which then can cause even more problems.

This hormone is part of the "fight-or-flight" response that we have as human beings. Faced with stressful situations and danger, we are left to either run or fight. Your body secretes this hormone as a way of fighting off the stress and danger. One of its main functions is to increase the flow of glucose, protein and fat out of your tissues and into your circulation system. It is actually designed to immediately increase your energy levels in response to a physical threat. Wow!

It is important to note that there really isn't wrong with a short-term rise in your cortisol levels so long as it returns to normal within a short amount of time. Unfortunately, many of us suffer from steady levels of stress within our lives. (Death, illnesses, losing a job, financial difficulties, etc.) All of which, contribute to a constant high level of cortisol. The dangers of having high levels of the hormone have been associated with storage of abdominal fat, diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune system, and chronic depression.

Could stress keep me from being slim?

Two questions here are key: Can you control where you lose weight, and does stress affect eating, weight, and where fat is distributed on the body? These are important issues that have occupied experts for a number of years.

People have limited control over where they gain and lose weight. This is determined by hormones, whether you're a man or a woman, and other factors researchers are just now learning about. You can control whether you lose weight, but you have less say in where it is lost. With that said, stress is a definite player.

A number of researchers, including my colleagues and I, are studying stress, eating, and body weight, spurred partly by the interesting paradox that stress leads some people to eat less and others to eat more. This may relate in part to cortisol, a hormone that is released during stress.

The amount of cortisol released varies from person to person depending on how much stress they experience and how their bodies handle it. Some people are highly reactive to stress and show substantial biological changes, including cortisol release. Increased cortisol release is related to storage of fat, particularly in the abdominal area. This stored fat is associated with greater risk of some pretty serious problems, including heart disease and stroke.

Elissa Epel, PhD, a former graduate student who worked with me (now at the University of California at San Francisco), has studied stress, eating, and cortisol. She found that women with excess weight in the abdominal area released more cortisol when stressed than did women with weight distributed elsewhere. She also found that women who release high levels of cortisol due to stress eat more when stressed. These and other studies show that stress may lead to increased eating and fat storage, and that cortisol is central to this process.

But what can you do about this stress-related weight gain?

It is clear that everyone experiences stress, but some people experience much more than others. Life circumstances are one part of the equation. Losing a loved one, serious illness, financial difficulties, and relationship problems are events that would stress anyone. However, how a person perceives stressful situations is also important. Two people might do poorly on a task -- but one uses it as an opportunity to learn, and the other feels major stress. Hence, stress makes life difficult, but our reaction to it is important as well.

For someone whose life is stressful, there are two logical moves. One is to reduce stress. This sometimes requires major life changes, but may also be helped by learning time management skills, assertiveness, etc. This involves identifying the source of stress and making necessary changes.

The second approach is to find constructive ways of coping with stress. Meditation, yoga, and exercise are good in this regard. Better yet, take a stress management class or get a good book on the topic and really follow it. The beauty of relieving stress is that it may help with weight control and can also make life much more pleasant.

Return to main C3 page