Adrenal Stress Profile
The purpose of the
Adrenal Stress Profile (24 Saliva Test) ( is to determine how stress has been taxing your body (adrenal glands). The more stress we tax the adrenal glands with – the more exhausted they become, which affects our immune system, our ability to lose weight, our energy levels, our ability to regulate our blood sugar, hormonal imbalances, digestive difficulties, chemical imbalances, insomnia, high blood pressure, allergies and the list goes on. The best way to measure stress and how well our adrenal glands are functioning is with a
24 hour saliva test that measures
cortisol, DHEA Iinsulin levels, Secretory IgA (immune status), and Gluten Sensitivity.
Stress is more than worry, fear and anxiety. It is anything that causes the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol and adrenaline.
· Is it too much mental worry, fear and anxiety?
o Always on the go, hurry, hurry, hurry?
o Worried about finances, career, family, etc?
· Is it too much physical stress?
o Too much exercise?
o Not enough sleep?
o Being overweight?
· Is it too much chemical stress?
o Air and water pollution?
o Pesticides, hormones or antibiotics in our food?
o Too much prescription or over-the-counter medications?
· Is it dietary stress?
o Skipping meals, missing breakfast?
o Blood sugar imbalances due to eating the wrong foods?
o
Indigestion, heartburn, reflux, etc?
Stress is also cumulative! The human body is designed to handle short term stress – NOT long term, constant stress! The constant demand on the adrenal glands to produce additional cortisol and adrenaline can eventually reach a point where the adrenals are unable to meet that demand. This is known as adrenal exhaustion and why it can be so devastating to one’s health.
Cortisol, adrenaline, DHEA and the many other hormones produced by the adrenal glands are critical in activating/regulating our metabolism, immune and digestive system, blood pressure, blood sugar, reproductive hormones, neurotransmitters (brain messengers), growth hormones and inflammatory hormones.
The Adrenal Stress Profile will measure how well your adrenal glands are functioning. Are they producing adequate levels of hormones to maintain good health? Or are they exhausted and overworked due to all the stress you have placed them under? The saliva test will measure four cortisol readings; 2 DHEA levels; 2 Insulin (blood sugar imbalances) readings; One Secretory IgA (immune response) and measure Gluten (wheat) sensitivity.
Increased or decreased levels of cortisol contribute to:
- Fatigue, Weight gain
- Cravings, low blood sugar
- Digestive difficulties
- Insomnia, Irritability
- PMS, Hot flashes, Night Sweats
- Depression, Mood Swings, Anxiety
- Allergies, Sinus and a Weakened immune system
- Decreased libido and stamina
Mainstream medicine fails to recognize that the adrenal glands can be functioning as either “hypo” (depressed) or hyper (elevated)….which can explain why so many people are frustrated that their doctor can’t help them.
The adrenal glands are part of the same autonomic nervous system that includes our thyroid and reproductive hormones. Why is it that our thyroid can be under-or-over active. And our ovaries and testes can make too little or too much progesterone, estrogen or testosterone….But our adrenal glands can only be thought of as either broken or fine? It could be that there isn’t a medication to prescribe for someone whose adrenal glands are a little overworked. But there is a medication to give for a sluggish thyroid, ovaries or testes.
Click to read article on Saliva vs. Blood test...
It doesn’t make sense! Mainstream medicine doesn’t routinely measure the adrenal glands as they do thyroid and reproductive hormones, yet NASA understands the importance of this test and routinely performs it. They also do a one-time blood draw to test, which doesn't give you accurate information, because cortisol fluctuates throughout the day. This is why 4 cortisol draws are important.
Cortisol is not a good or bad hormone
If you are constantly in that “fight or flight” mode your body will always make more of your stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline instead of the other downstream hormones that are needed to regulate the body. It’s simply a matter of survival and priority. It’s more important to run from the proverbial ‘saber tooth tiger’ than it is too have a baby, digest your food or relax and fall asleep. This is why adrenal exhaustion is so impacting to one’s overall health and a major underlying problem for many of today’s degenerative and chronic health issues such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, diabetes and depression.
The diagram shows a simple pathway for many of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands. When stress is constant the adrenal glands will direct more of its resources to produce additional cortisol and adrenaline. As this continues to occur, the adrenals will easily begin to ‘steal’ pregnenolone and progesterone in order to make adequate levels of cortisol and adrenaline. This causes a decrease production and imbalance of DHEA, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and aldosterone, a hormone that regulates sodium and potassium.
As you manage your stress appropriately and their stress hormones you allow your adrenal glands to produce ALL the hormones needed to properly regulate your metabolism, mood, sleep, reproductive hormones, etc…and why the constant demand on the adrenal glands can diminish the production of DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc. And why nourishing your adrenal glands with a good Adrenal Support Formula can be so important during times of stress.
A 24 hour saliva test is the most accurate way to determine how stress has been impacting your body. Not everyone’s cortisol levels are too high as infomercial want you to believe.
Click to read article on Saliva vs. Blood test...
The test is done in the comfort of your own home and then shipped to the lab for assessment. Four (4) saliva samples will be taken throughout the day (morning, noon, dinner, and bedtime). The reason for the four samples is because cortisol like many of your hormones fluctuate throughout the day, (a one time blood tests will not pick up the fluctuations). Also, the anxiety for many people of going to the doctor and or drawing blood is enough to cause an increase in cortisol - which would give us a
false positive.
The results of the test will let us know if you are overtaxing our adrenal glands, which could be an underlying cause to your health concerns.
If you've been struggling with various health conditions and aren't getting any answers – it could be adrenal exhaustion? Measuring adrenal function to determine the impact stress is having on your body by measuring cortisol, DHEA, blood sugar and immune status is a step in the right direction.
Assessment of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, FSH & LH can also be performed as needed
