Cortisol is an important hormone in the body, which is activated in response to physical and mental stress. It is secreted by the adrenal glands and involved, amongst other things, in the regulation of blood pressure, insulin release for blood sugar maintenance, immune function and inflammatory response.
Normally, it’s present in the body at higher levels in the morning, and at its lowest at night. Small increases of cortisol have some positive effects: it can increase energy, heighten memory function, increase, immunity, etc. That's why some amount of stress can feel positive and increase productivity.
While cortisol is an important and helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important for the body to return to its normal state of relaxation following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the body’s stress response is activated so often that the body doesn’t always have a chance to return to normal, resulting in a state of chronic stress and prolonged exposure to cortisol.
This exposure negatively impacts our health. It increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels, suppresses the immune system, increases abdominal fat, reduces bone density, etc. It also has an impact on the level of happiness. In fact, a study of nearly 3,000 healthy British adults, lead by Dr. Andrew Steptoe of University College London, found that those who reported being happier had lower levels of cortisol.
Since cortisol plays such an important role in health and happiness, it is essential to try and keep it under control. Because it is produced during times of stress, there are nutritional and lifestyle changes that can be made in order to reduce stress and, in turn, decrease cortisol levels. Here are a few examples:
- Eat at regular intervals throughout the day. Avoid skipping meals, as this will create a cortisol release.
- Eat a balanced, nutritious diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables, low-glycemic level foods such as eggs, whole grain products, preferably gluten-free (quinoa, millet, buckwheat, etc.) and foods containing omega 3's such as flaxseed, walnuts, kidney and navy beans, olive oil and fish.
- Exercise.
- Meditate.
- Take a candle lit bath. Add 1/2 cup of Epsom salts and 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bathwater. The salts and baking soda help draw toxins out of the body, and the bath helps you relax and de-stress.
- Get a good night's sleep. Be in bed by 10:00 p.m. Shut off the T.V. and the lights. Cortisol levels typically lower naturally at night, but if you don't relax and get to bed on time, they can stay elevated continuously.
- Read.
- Listen to music.
- Take vitamin and mineral supplements, especially Vitamin C, which naturally lowers cortisol levels. Folic acid controls the actions and functions of the adrenal glands, which produce cortisol.
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