OK, Wait—What Does 'Cortisol' Actually Mean?
If you’ve ever been worried that stress is negatively impacting your health, you’ve likely heard about cortisol, which is widely known as “the stress hormone.” Often, cortisol is talked about as something that must be lowered or else it will lead to a whole slew of health problems including belly fat, high blood sugar and even heart attacks. But what is cortisol, exactly? Is all the negative talk about cortisol actually true?
If you’re not quite sure what cortisol is and how it impacts your health, keep reading for all the facts. Spoiler alert: Cortisol isn’t necessarily as “bad” as many think.
What Is Cortisol and Why Is It Called the ‘Stress Hormone’?
Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex, which is a large part of the adrenal gland. Cortisol plays a role in how we respond to stress—mentally and physically. This is why it’s often called “the stress hormone.” It also plays a role in regulating blood sugar, regulating blood pressure, suppressing inflammation, helping control metabolism and helping control circadian rhythm.
While many view cortisol as “bad,” the truth is that we need cortisol to survive. For example, if you are in sudden danger, the secretion of cortisol will activate the body’s fight-or-flight response. Without this, we would be too slow to respond to danger, which could be life-threatening.
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However, here’s why problems can occur: The body does not know the difference between life-threatening stress (such as someone with a gun) and what we perceive to be stressful (like seeing an email from your boss). Both instances can activate the fight-or-flight response in the same way, leading to the secretion of cortisol. This is exactly how feeling stressed out all the time can lead to high levels of cortisol—and that’s when your health can be negatively impacted.
Signs of High Cortisol
Signs of high cortisol include weight gain (especially in the mid-section), trouble concentrating, high blood pressure, trouble sleeping, headaches, fatigue and irritability. If you are experiencing these symptoms and you believe your cortisol levels are high, see a doctor, who can measure your cortisol levels. If you do, in fact, have high cortisol levels, it’s time to take action. This can include finding ways to manage stress through self-care practices, meditation, regular exercise, eating nutrient-rich foods and getting enough sleep.
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Other Roles Cortisol Plays in the Body
Though cortisol is often talked about in relation to how we respond to stress (and it indeed does play an important role in this), it’s not its only purpose. Cortisol also counterbalances insulin, helping to keep blood sugar levels balanced. If cortisol levels are too high, blood sugar levels can become too high. If cortisol levels are too low, blood sugar levels can become too low—leading to fatigue.
Didn’t know cortisol levels could get too low? This can happen if someone has an autoimmune condition, such as Addison’s disease, which is an illness associated with the body's inability to make enough of certain hormones (including cortisol). Having low cortisol levels is less common than having high cortisol levels, but it can happen, which is why it’s important to have your cortisol levels tested if you are experiencing signs of low cortisol. These signs include extreme weakness, fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches, loss of appetite and dehydration.
As previously noted, cortisol is also important for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Similar to how cortisol can affect blood sugar, chronically high cortisol can lead to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
Cortisol is also secreted during exercise, which is a form of physical stress. In short bursts, this is beneficial, helping to decrease inflammation. This is one important way that cortisol can benefit the body. But again, moderation is key. People who chronically exercise are at risk of putting too much stress on their bodies, raising cortisol levels for too long in the process.
As you can see, cortisol does a lot for the body and it is not inherently “bad.” While cortisol itself is neutral, living in a constant state of stress can raise cortisol levels and negatively impact the body in profound ways. By managing stress, you’ll be keeping your cortisol levels right where they should be, and that’s something the whole body will benefit from.
Next up, find out the best ways to reduce inflammation, according to doctors.
Sources
Lifestyle, stress and cortisol response: Review II. Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine.
Adrenal Cortex. Cleveland Clinic.
Cortisol. Cleveland Clinic.
Addison Disease. StatPearls.
Adrenal Insufficiency (Addison’s Disease). Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Cardiovascular Consequences of Cortisol Excess. Vascular Health and Risk Management.
Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Cortisol Stress Reactivity in Response to the Trier Social Stress Test in Inpatients with Major Depressive Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine.