Is Eliminating it Really the Answer?

Infomercials are leading consumers to believe that “stress” and “cortisol” are the reasons we can’t lose weight.  Unfortunately, only part of their message is correct.  Yes, stress can have a major impact on your inability to lose weight but it is not simply too much cortisol, as they would lead you to believe.  It could be not enough cortisol.  Furthermore, if stress is the problem - the last thing you want is a supplement loaded with stimulants like; ma huang, ephedra, guarana, caffeine, bitter orange.

Infomercials are making cortisol sound like a terrible thing!  The truth is cortisol is an extremely important hormone produced by your adrenal glands in times of stress. But cortisol also helps regulate your blood sugar, and reduces inflammation.  The problem is that all the stress is over-working our adrenal glands, which interferes with their normal function and since our body is so intimately connected, when one system begins to dysfunction – all kinds of health problems can begin.  Adrenal dysfunction leads to imbalances (too much or too little) of cortisol and other hormones, which can have a direct impact on our energy level, inability to lose weight, cravings, mood swings, PMS, menopause, insomnia, diabetes, libido, etc. 

Our bodies are designed to handle stress and stressful situation.  We call that our Fight or Flight Mode.  Unfortunately, most people who are struggling with various health issues are spending too much time in their fight or flight mode and not enough time in their Resting and Digesting Mode.  This causes our adrenal glands to become overworked and exhausted, and throws off their normal function. 

When adrenal function is disturbed by all the stress we place on ourselves, it can affect thyroid function, which can cause weight gain, fatigue, and headaches.  Proper liver function and detoxification will be interfered with and can cause sensitivities to fumes, PMS, headaches, allergies. Your digestive system becomes fragile and susceptible to bloating, gas, heartburn, and other irritable bowel like syndromes including yeast and parasite overgrowth. Your sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) will become out of balance and can lead to PMS, menopausal difficulties, depression, and decreased libido.  Our immune system becomes weaker, leaving you more exposed to allergens, infections and other types of illnesses.  Our ability to handle our blood sugar and carbohydrates becomes unstable, leading to insulin resistance, hypoglycemia and diabetes.  Blood pressure and other vascular problems are associated with adrenal exhaustion, as is osteoporosis. 

Regulating cortisol is the key!

As you can see stress can have a direct impact to your health, not just your weight.  Unfortunately, here is where the infomercials begin to distort the facts, because they believe that excess cortisol only effects weight gain, when if fact it has far reaching consequences to your health.  Secondly, they would like us to believe that all our problems are a result of too much cortisol, when in fact; a majority of patients I have worked with are not producing enough cortisol. 

As we said before, people are spending too much time in the fight or flight mode, that they eventually exhaust or deplete their adrenal glands, which interferes with their normal metabolic function.  Many symptoms, (see chart below) and health complaints can result from either too much or too little cortisol, which is difficult to determine even from a trained health professional. Therefore taking a supplement that is strictly designed to lower cortisol, when in fact they need to increase cortisol could be a mistake.  Which is why measuring cortisol and DHEA can be very important in determining were the real cause of the problem is at.

A final point about the over-or-under production of cortisol and adrenal exhaustion is that the last thing you want to be consuming is any type of stimulant such as caffeine, ma huang, guarana, or bitter orange.  These herbs further deplete and exhaust your adrenal glands, sure they will “pep you up” and give you some energy, making you think you are doing better, but in fact your newfound energy is from a stimulant.  Therefore, in times of stress you need to be nourishing your adrenal glands, not further depleting them.

There are specific nutrients that are known to support your adrenal glands such as vitamin C, vitamin B, zinc, and magnesium.  Adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha, rhodiola, cordyceps, and ginseng, work to rebalance your adrenal, by either increasing or decreasing their production and should be used to help restore normal adrenal function. 

Finally, if stress is the problem - and that is what is causing your adrenal glands to become overworked - the last thing you want to be taking is a supplement loaded with stimulants.  Sure the stimulants like ma huang, ephedra, caffeine, guarana, and orange bitters will give you energy, and a false sense of feeling better, but these stimulants have a negative effect on your adrenal glands and will only further hinder normal function - they won't support or strengthen your body in times of stress.

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Dr. Len Lopez