How to Download CORTISOL

Day after day we are exposed to countless stressful situations. Not being late for work, finishing projects on time, meetings, not missing the bus to meet friends, not knowing what to do for dinner tonight,... etc. For all these times, our body reacts by becoming alert, hoping to be able to overcome adversity and threats that threaten it, but they do not stop coming. In the end, this constant stress takes its toll. Cortisol, called the stress hormone, is a very important substance that helps us give ourselves energy when we need it most, but when the threats have no end it begins to be a serious problem for the Health. Weight gain, mood swings, and many more discomforts appear when we don't take a break. In this article from Psychology-Online: How to lower cortisol, we propose to explain different methods to lower cortisol and improve quality of life.

Index

1. High blood cortisol
2. High cortisol: symptoms
3. High cortisol: causes
4. High cortisol: consequences
5. High cortisol: treatment
6. How to lower cortisol naturally

The cortisol It is a hormone that our body secretes in the adrenal gland that has the function of prepare our body for dangers or extreme situations to respond efficiently and quickly, increasing the chances of survival.

The way we experience these dangers is stress, and therefore, the release of cortisol is always associated with it, earning the title of stress hormone. The role of cortisol is broadly to increase the level of glucose in the blood so that our muscles can react quickly and decrease other functions that are not absolutely necessary for survival at that time, such as suppressing the system immunological. It is also involved in blood pressure, cardiovascular activity, and the transformation of fat and protein into energy.

In itself, cortisol has a positive function for the human body since fulfills a fundamental function for our survival. However, in today's society, the lifestyle of most people is sedentary and, although we are rarely in the face of situations that threaten our life on a day-to-day basis, it is also common for stress to accompany our busy lifetime. Therefore, the constant presence of high cortisol in the blood and in our body in the long run will end up negatively affecting our health. Therefore, it is important to know how to lower cortisol.

How do I know if I have high cortisol? When we are exposed for a long period of time to cortisol we will observe a series of negative symptoms. Below we list the symptoms of high cortisol:

• Anxiety.
• High blood pressure
• Increasingly weaker muscles.
• Premature aging.
• Sleeping problems.
• Dizziness
• Weight gain.
• Difficulty overcoming viral or bacterial diseases.
• Desire to eat foods rich in glucose such as sugar.
• Mood and mood disturbances.
• Changes in appetite, that is, not wanting to eat anything or wanting to eat a lot.
• Decreased sex drive.

The most common causes of high cortisol are as follows:

• Cortisol and stress. Having high cortisol due to stress means you are perceiving some danger and consequently your body is activating stress, a response that involves the release of a surge of hormones, including cortisol. When those factors that are perceived as dangerous and generate stress are always present, the hormonal reaction is always activated. Therefore, the release of cortisol is continuous and too much.
• Insomnia. Lack of sleep or trouble sleeping influence cortisol levels.
• Drink exciting substances like caffeine.
• Medicines that simulate the effect of cortisol, such as hydrocortisone.

The chronic presence of high cortisol in the blood will lead to negative consequences for our body. The main consequences of prolonged high cortisol are:

• Weight gain. Cortisol can make us want to eat more sugar-rich, high-calorie foods. If you add to this that it also facilitates the accumulation of fat, it will be easy to see how we gain weight.
• Weak immune system. Cortisol acts as an immunosuppressant and its constant presence can weaken the activity of the immune system. This means an increased risk of viral diseases and autoimmune diseases.
• Digestive problems. Cortisol decreases the activity of the digestive tract, decreasing the nutrients absorbed and altering intestinal regulation, causing tummy aches and diarrhea.
• Trouble sleeping In sleep, a high level of cortisol can deprive us from entering the phases of deep sleep, altering its quality and making us feel fatigued upon waking.

A high level of cortisol can cost us dearly for our health, so can we do something to lower the level of cortisol? How to lower cortisol? There are different helpful methods to lower cortisol.

Lower cortisol: medications

Most treatments focus on reducing the main cause of high cortisol, namely stress. Others instead, focus on improving the metabolic system that is altered by cortisol.

1. There are medications that treat symptoms of stress, called anxiolytics, which could help decrease cortisol. The use of such drugs should always be under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
2. There are also medical cases where there is an abnormal excess of cortisol that is not caused by stress, as in Cushing's syndrome, which is accompanied by diabetes. In these situations there are drugs cortisol inhibitors.

In the times we live in, it is inevitable to find ourselves in front of a perpetual and constant stress, work, schedules and social life can be very demanding. It is therefore normal to ask yourself how to reduce cortisol or how to lower cortisol naturally to be able to face the challenges of every day and not giving up good health without having to resort to any type of pills to lower the cortisol. Fortunately, there are many tools that allow us to lower the level of stress and therefore the cortisol without the participation of medications. That is, there are methods to lower cortisol naturally. Next, we tell you how to lower cortisol naturally:

1. Use relaxation techniques. Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditating, or listening to quiet music can relax the body and mind and therefore lower stress levels.
2. Do exercise. A good way to reduce anxiety symptoms and release energy is by exercising. Regular exercise causes our brain to release dopamine and serotonin, which are two chemicals that reduce stress. It is not necessary to do hours of intense sport, with walking for half an hour each day you can tell the difference.
3. Good sleep habits. Follow some sleep hygiene guidelines, how to ensure a regular schedule, a suitable environment and avoid bad habits before going to sleep how to watch the mobile in bed will make our rest comforting and that there is no trace of fatigue, reducing anxiety.
4. Skip the caffeine. Drinking caffeine can abruptly increase your cortisol level and keep it going for hours. How to lower cortisol? An effective way to lower your level is to try to stop drinking coffee or other liquids that contain caffeine, or at least decrease your intake.
5. Eat foods rich in phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is an amino acid that helps secrete dopamine, which helps reduce the urge to eat carbohydrates and sugars and therefore helps eliminate stress. Phenylalanine is found mostly in protein foods like dairy, eggs, red meat, fish, and some whole grains.
6. Eat foods rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C, like dopamine, also helps secrete dopamine and reduce stress. Vitamin C is found in vegetables and fruits mostly. In this article you will know Foods to combat anxiety.
7. Eat Omega 3 fatty acids. These decrease the activation of the adrenal glands, thus helping to lower cortisol naturally. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in foods such as vegetable oils (for example, flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil) as well as fish and shellfish.
8. Ashwagandha (withania somnífera). If you are still wondering how to lower cortisol naturally, you must know about ashwagandha. Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, is a plant used in medicine. What is the relationship between ashwagandha and cortisol? Currently, the Comprehensive Natural Medicines Database considers ashwagandha to be possibly effective in reducing symptoms of stress. Ashwagandha is recommended to control stress and anxiety, as well as to reduce blood pressure caused by excess nerves. Therefore, it is a natural way to lower cortisol.
9. Relate to others. Why can relationships with others lower cortisol naturally? Because social relationships, kindness and affection increase the release of oxytocin and this hormone lowers the level of cortisol.
10. Practice minfulness. Another tool that you should know if you wonder how to lower cortisol naturally is mindfulness, a type of meditation whose purpose is to be present in the present. In this article you will find more information about what is minfulness and how to practice it.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to lower cortisol, we recommend that you enter our category of Natural medicine.

• Cebrián, J., & Guarga, J. (2012). Medicinal Plants Dictionary. RBA Books.
• Martino, P. (2014). An analysis of the close relationships between stress and depression from a psychoneuroendocrinological perspective: the central role of cortisol. Neuropsychology Notebooks, 8(1), 60-75.
• Talbott, S. M. (2007). The cortisol connection: why stress makes you fat and ruins your health-and what you can do about it. Hunter House.