You may well have heard of the hormone that’s cortisol. The likelihood, however, is you’re unclear about exactly what it does – and why it’s bad news if its production level rises too high, with too much of it slopping about your body, and what issues and problems that can cause.

In simple terms, cortisol – because it’s a stress hormone – plays a significant role in the body’s fight-or-flight response. As you may be aware, this concerns how the body reacts in cases of what it deems are threats or, yes, stress. In such situations then, the human body will produce cortisol as a natural response.

To that end, cortisol concerns itself with affecting many different areas of the body, which ensures it boosts heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, blood sugar levels and the rate at which you breathe (so basically, when you’re feeling stressed, a pounding heart, sweating and heavy-breathing is down to cortisol).

But it also has an effect on other processes in the body, such as digestion and reproduction – why? To conserve energy as the body deals with stress or an outside threat. As a part of this, cortisol has a natural tendency to suppress the immune system, the danger of which, of course, is the risk of infection rises.

Causes for increased cortisol levels

What, though, does the body deem an outside threat or a stress cause – is it simply just literal dangers and other stressful situations (i.e. work and family life)? Well, these are the classic things that cause cortisol levels to rise; what’s less obvious is that the likes of not maintaining a healthy enough diet, poor sleep and consuming too much caffeine (coffee) are also highly typical causes.

Moreover, specific drugs and medication may, as a side effect, raise cortisol levels in some people. This can be true of corticosteroids, for instance (which are often taken to treat autoimmune diseases), and it can be true too of birth control pills taken for contraception. And, should you suffer from issues with your body’s adrenal glands or its pituitary gland (located in the brain), cortisol levels, again, can rise, as a result.

Symptoms and disorders – including adrenal fatigue

If your cortisol levels increase too much, it could give rise to several different symptoms to be very wary of – especially as a number of them observed in combination could cause a medical professional to suspect you’re suffering from what’s commonly referred to as Cushing’s syndrome (also known as hypercortisolism)⁴. Above all else, tell-tale signs of Cushing’s syndrome are put-on weight around the middle section of the body, as well as the face and upper back, and, conversely, weight lost from the legs.

Additionally, too much cortisol production can result in another issue you may well have heard of – adrenal fatigue. If in doubt, make a check-list of the following symptoms; a combination of them is likely to suggest dangerously elevated levels of cortisol:

• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar (type 2 diabetes)
• Irregular menstrual cycles and excess hair growth in women (face and elsewhere)
• Mood swings and/ or depression
• Obesity
• Purple stretch marks (stomach and elsewhere)
• Reduced fertility (in men and women)
• Unusual bruising of the skin
• Weakened muscles
• Weight gain (face, chest and stomach)

Managing your cortisol levels

So, we’ve looked at cortisol in the body – and the causes for its increased production in the body and symptoms and issues that creates – but how to manage your cortisol levels? How to keep your body’s cortisol on a healthy, efficient and even keel? Well, trying to control your stress levels is an obvious starting point; albeit a challenging thing to do. Even so, there are different ways you might try to manage stress effectively – improve relationships, do aerobic exercise, take time out to relax and enjoy yourself, meditate and practice yoga and so on.

It’s all about recognising what you can do to improve things, rather than always worrying about what you can’t do to improve things. For instance, sleep tends to be a big factor in controlling stress; so why not aim for better sleep hygiene (i.e. buy a good mattress and pillow and try to keep to a sleep schedule)?

And, don’t doubt it, diet is another area you can target to try and help with everyday stress. When you become stressed, it’s normal to begin craving food that’s packed with fats, sugars and carbohydrates. So, introducing more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and ‘healthy fats’ will help you here (you’ll naturally turn to such foods if they’re commonplace in your diet, whatever your mood). But a big boon of having a healthier diet due to such foods is down to how antioxidant-rich they are; the antioxidants they naturally contain can help to decrease physical stress in the body (or oxidative stress, as it’s known), as well as help to decrease emotional stress. Of course, both of these kinds of stress drive production of cortisol.

Plus, it’s important to remain hydrated – dehydration can raise cortisol levels. And try drinking green tea too; research suggests it may also help lower cortisol levels.

Supplements

Finally, another way to keep your body’s cortisol levels in check is to try supplements, which comprise entirely naturally-sourced ingredients. We stock a wide variety of them at The Finchley Clinic (so check our ‘Adrenal Support’ section); here are a few we highly recommend:

Drive! – comprises Tyrosine that, when combined with co-nutrients, supports the adrenal and thyroid glands and may deliver improved energy, balanced brain chemistry and combat depression.

NADH Rapid Energy – the active coenzyme form of Vitamin B3, NADH provides adrenal support, antioxidants and energy-boosting properties, and may aid heart and immune health, anti-ageing and memory maintenance.

Tulsi Stress Relief – this supplement’s adaptogenic properties encourage a healthy response to stress, boost natural energy production and promote mental wellbeing.