Cortisol — a.k.a. the “stress hormone” — is essential for maintaining energy and overall health. Yet when cortisol is out of balance, it can cause a cascade of concerning effects in our bodies, even leading to chronic health conditions. In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, joins us to explain how cortisol works in the body, signs it may be out of balance, and how managing stress can help bring hormones into balance and create a more resilient body.
This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.
Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, is a clinical pharmacist, the cochair of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the chair of the International Peptide Society, and the Chief Science Officer for Life Time.
In this episode, LaValle defines cortisol and its relationship to other hormones in the body, what can happen when our cortisol levels are imbalanced, and strategies for measuring cortisol and bringing it back to balance. Insights include the following:
- Cortisol is made in the adrenal glands as a response to stress. It’s a central player in metabolism and an important piece of the puzzle for longevity and health.
- Cortisol works in tandem with insulin and thyroid hormone to keep you energized throughout the day.
- Cortisol levels change throughout the day on a diurnal curve, releasing more in the morning and less throughout the day.
- When cortisol is out of balance — whether too high or too low — it can affect our health and lead us on a path toward chronic issues.
- Signs your cortisol levels may be out of balance include trouble falling asleep, energy crashes, cravings for comfort foods, foggy brain, joint aches and muscle pains, poor recovery from exercise, more frequent occurrence of illness, spikes in blood sugar, unexpected weight gain, and gut permeability changes.
- Assessing your morning serum cortisol with lab testing can be helpful. It can indicate if you’re losing your cortisol awakening response (meaning cortisol is too low) or if your awakening response is too dramatic (meaning cortisol is too high). LaValle also likes to look at DHEA-sulfate.
- High cortisol levels can lead to stress-related weight gain, poor sleep, and other health issues.
- Out-of-balance cortisol can also affect the immune system, leaving your body unable to produce sufficient functional, natural killer cells and killer T cells. This can put you at risk for not only everyday illnesses like colds and flus, but also more serious issues like cancer.
- When your cortisol is high, you make more adrenaline and noradrenaline, which can stiffen and tighten your arteries; this can make them less responsive to variations in your stress. In turn, this forces your heart to work harder and raises your blood pressure. You also make more inflammatory chemicals when your cortisol is high, which can cause plaquing of the arteries.
- Studies have shown that when cortisol does not follow a healthy diurnal pattern, it can increase the risks for cardio-metabolic issues, neurologic disorders, and mood disorders.
- Lifestyle changes, such as practicing stress-management techniques and prioritizing sleep, can help regulate cortisol levels and hormone function.
- Other strategies — like taking adaptogens or other natural compounds — can support cortisol balance and reduce stress-related symptoms.