Last week, my bestie Margery said, “I’ve been hearing a ton about how bad cortisol is… what am I supposed to do about it?” When I started to explain the dangers of excess cortisol, I realized this is something we all need more information on. Many of us are dealing with unhealthy levels of chronic stress and excess cortisol.

Bottom line: Cortisol is a key hormone in the body that gets released in times of stress. Too much of it can make you lose sleep, gain weight, lose muscle, gain belly fat, lose cognitive function, and increase your blood pressure.

This is not a drill. We need to understand how important regulating cortisol is to our health and well being.

So let’s dig into this multi-part series on stress and cortisol and what we can do about it. I’m going to start with the basics in this post, and in my next post, we’ll discuss solutions because this part is probably going to, well, stress you out.

What is Cortisol & How Does it Work in the Body?

Cortisol is a key hormone that regulates essential functions in the body.

Hormones play a critical role as your body’s chemical messengers. Hormones are sent by different glands through your bloodstream to deliver important instructions to various parts of your body and help manage everything from how you grow and use energy to how you feel and even your sex life. Think of hormones as your body’s way of keeping everything running smoothly and making sure you can handle whatever life throws your way.

Known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands, two small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of each kidney. Cortisol is released by the adrenals in response to stress and when our blood sugar is low. When running optimally, cortisol levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day, peaking in the morning to help us wake up and gradually declining by evening to prepare us for sleep.

Cortisol is essential for our body’s response to stress, but having too much of it for long periods can lead to several health problems. There are many reasons for excess cortisol in the body, including illness, certain medications, menopause and even pregnancy. But the main reason for excess cortisol is typically chronic stress. Obviously, we can’t avoid stress completely. In life -threatening situations, stress is your friend. But let’s be honest, most of our stress comes from work deadlines, current and past relationships, worrying about finances, and never mind the news. It’s wreaking havoc.

When cortisol is functioning optimally, it provides vital functions in the body. 

Primary Functions of Cortisol:

• Regulates Metabolism: Cortisol helps control how our bodies use fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, converting them into energy.
• Reduces Inflammation: It helps manage our immune response and reduce inflammation.
• Controls Blood Sugar Levels: By stimulating the production of glucose (sugar) in the body, cortisol ensures that our brain and muscles have enough energy, especially during stressful situations.
• Manages Stress Response: Cortisol works with the brain to control mood, motivation, and fear.

Excess Cortisol: Wreaking Havoc On Your Health

If you’re feeling rundown, if weight gain is a struggle despite your best efforts, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, there’s a good chance your cortisol is dysregulated. Understanding cortisol and how to manage it is crucial for living longer, maintaining a healthy weight, and reducing your risk of disease.

🥱 Disrupted Sleep: Elevated cortisol levels can mess with your circadian rhythm and throw off sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or poor-quality sleep. Personally, when my cortisol was really out of whack, I’d often wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious and have trouble falling back to sleep. I’d also wake up with night sweats. Can anyone relate?

🩸 High Blood Pressure: Cortisol can cause the body to retain sodium and lose potassium, leading to elevated blood pressure levels.

🧠 Impaired Cognitive Function: Long-term high cortisol levels can negatively impact memory, learning, and cognitive function, particularly affecting areas of the brain involved in memory formation and emotional regulation.

😩 Increased Abdominal Fat/Menopause Belly: Excess cortisol promotes fat accumulation around the abdomen, leading to visceral fat, aka “menopause belly.” Visceral fat is a specific type of fat linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Note: if you’re perimenopausal or menopausal, your body starts to store more visceral fat as well. More to come on this topic, I promise.

⚖️ Weight Gain: The release of excessive cortisol during times of stress can increase appetite and cravings for foods high in processed sugar, salt, and fat. The adrenals release cortisol to stimulate the release of glucose from the liver into the bloodstream, and when you are facing excessive chronic stress, that can manifest in insulin resistance and feeling hungry.

🥺 Mood Disorders: High cortisol levels are associated with increased anxiety, depression, and mood swings, affecting overall emotional well-being.

💪🏻 Muscle Loss: Cortisol also plays a role in protein metabolism. While it helps break down proteins into amino acids to provide energy during times of stress, prolonged high cortisol levels can lead to muscle protein breakdown. This can result in muscle wasting and reduced muscle mass over time, contributing to physical weakness and decreased metabolic efficiency.

😷 Suppressed Immune Function: Chronic high cortisol levels can suppress immune function, making individuals more susceptible to infections and delaying healing processes.