Adrenals and Cortisol
- JILL | INNER HEALING COACH
- Apr 2
- 4 min read
Written by Dr Stanley Gravely
Cortisol is a hormone your adrenal glands make and release. It’s a glucocorticoid, a type of steroid hormone. You may mainly think of cortisol when it comes to stress. But it’s an essential hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. It plays many other important roles, including:
Regulating how your body uses glucose (sugar) for energy
Decreasing inflammation
Regulating blood pressure
Helping to control your sleep-wake cycle
Your body continuously monitors your cortisol levels to maintain steady levels (homeostasis). High or low cortisol levels can be harmful to your health.
Is cortisol a stress hormone? Yes, cortisol plays a key role in managing your body’s stress response. Your body releases cortisol when you experience any of the following types of stress:
Acute (short-term) stress
Chronic (long-term) stress
Traumatic stress
But cortisol has many other functions, too.
How does cortisol affect my body?
Cortisol affects nearly every organ system in your body. And it helps regulate several key functions. During times of stress, your body can release cortisol after releasing its “fight or flight” hormones, like adrenaline. This happens so you continue to stay on high alert. Cortisol also triggers the release of glucose (sugar) from your liver. This provides fast energy during times of stress. Metabolism refers to the chemical processes in your body that allow you to live and function.
Cortisol affects your metabolism by helping regulate how your body uses glucose (sugar) for energy. The hormone does this in many ways. For example, cortisol triggers your pancreas to decrease insulin and increase glucagon. Insulin lowers blood glucose (sugar). Glucagon raises it.
Cortisol also acts on other bodily tissues to manage glucose use, including your:
Adipose tissue (body fat)
Liver
Muscle
Suppressing inflammation
In short spurts, cortisol can boost your immunity by limiting inflammation. But if you have consistently high levels of cortisol, your body can get used to it. This can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system.
Regulating blood pressure: The exact way in which cortisol regulates blood pressure in humans is unclear. But elevated levels of cortisol can cause high blood pressure. And lower-than-normal levels of cortisol can cause low blood pressure.
Helping to control your sleep-wake cycle. Most people have lower cortisol levels in the evening when they go to sleep. And they have peak levels in the morning right before they wake up. This suggests that cortisol plays a key role in your circadian rhythm and how your body wakes up.
How does my body control cortisol levels?
Your body has an elaborate system to regulate your cortisol levels. Your hypothalamus and pituitary gland control the cortisol production in your adrenal glands. The process goes like this: When the cortisol level in your blood falls, your hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). This directs your pituitary gland to make adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH then triggers your adrenal glands to make and release cortisol.
To have healthy cortisol levels, your hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands must all be functioning properly. What causes high levels of cortisol? If you have high levels of cortisol (hypercortisolism) for a long time, it’s usually Cushing syndrome. Causes of high cortisol levels and Cushing syndrome include:
Taking high doses of corticosteroid medications, like prednisone, prednisolone or dexamethasone
Tumors that produce ACTH — usually in your pituitary gland
Adrenal gland tumors that cause excess cortisol
What are the symptoms of high cortisol levels?
Symptoms of high cortisol levels, or Cushing syndrome, can include:
Weight gain, especially in your face and belly
Fatty deposits between your shoulder blades
Wide, purple stretch marks on your belly
Muscle weakness in your upper arms and thighs
High blood sugar, which often turns into Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Excessive hair growth (hirsutism) in females
Weak bones (osteoporosis) and bone breaks (fractures)
What causes low levels of cortisol?
Healthcare providers call lower-than-normal cortisol levels (hypocortisolism) adrenal insufficiency.
There are two types of adrenal insufficiency: primary and secondary. Primary adrenal insufficiency most often happens when your immune system attacks your adrenal glands. It’s called Addison’s disease. An infection or blood loss to the tissue in your adrenal glands can also lead to a lack of cortisol.
Secondary adrenal insufficiency happens if you have an underactive pituitary gland (hypopituitarism) or a pituitary tumor. These conditions can limit ACTH production, which limits cortisol production. You can also develop low cortisol levels after suddenly stopping treatment with corticosteroids.
What are the symptoms of low cortisol levels? Symptoms of low cortisol levels, or adrenal insufficiency, can include:
Fatigue
Unintentional weight loss
Loss of appetite
Low blood pressure
So, what can we do to control cortisol levels?
The basic tips are all connected to living a healthy lifestyle!
Are you eating a healthy diet free of junk food, fried food, fast food, refined and processed foods? Are you exercising? Are you drinking pure water and eliminating soft drinks and sugary drinks? Do you get adequate sleep and rest? Do you pray and meditate and release stress? Do you get adequate sunshine and fresh air?
X39 to assist the body to heal and repair your adrenals and other organs and systems of the body.
Aeon to assist the body to control inflammation and keep things calm.
SP6 to assist the body to regulate hormones and adrenal gland.
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To your health and inner healing,
Jill | INNER HEALING COACH
ICF Certified Somatic Integrated Trauma Informed Coach ™
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NOTE: I AM NOT a licensed medical professional. Please seek a medical professional for treatments, medical advice, or before you start any new wellness protocol.
This post and anything shared here is not medical advice. Lifewave doesn’t treat, cure or diagnose dis-ease. Your body does this! All information shared is from personal experience and from 100’s of patents on the patches. The science and technology are the wave of future medicine and began over 30 years ago for navy seals.
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