What is this substance called cortisol? What is the link between cortisol and stress? What are the health benefits of normal cortisol levels to the body and how dangerous to your health is the high and excessive levels of this stress hormone?

The Oxford Dictionary defines stress as “a demand on physical and mental energy.” Stress is the wear & tears our body experiences as we adjust to our environment. We all face different challenges and obstacles, and sometimes the pressures are hard to handle. A little stress is good, we all go through that everyday, speaking in public, especially to a large crowd, going on your first date, your first day on the job.

However, when the going gets too tough and life’s demands exceed our ability to cope, then stress becomes a threat to our physical and emotional well-being. The process starts in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which sends a message to the body’s master gland, the pituitary. It then signals the adrenal glands to release abnormally high amounts of the stress hormone cortisol.

What really is Cortisol? It is one of the three adrenocortical hormones along with aldosterol and androgens. Corticosteriods are steroids hormones manufactured by the adrenal glands which are of two main types: Glucocorticosteriods such as cortisol and cortisone required mainly for glucose metabolism and for responding to stress. Mineralocorticosteriods such as aldosterone which regulate the salt and water balance in the body.

The normal cortisol levels in a healthy individual rise during the early morning hours and are highest during that time of day. They drop very low in the evening and during the early phase of sleep. But if you are someone who sleep during the day and are up working at night, this pattern may be reversed. If you do not have this daily change – diurnal rhythm – in cortisol levels, you may have overactive adrenal glands.

An overproduction of corticosteroids could lead to Cushing’s syndrome. Cushing’s syndrome is the result of the excessive production of corticosteroids by the adrenal glands. Overproduction of corticotropin – the hormone that controls the adrenal gland – by the pituitary (master) gland, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce corticosteroids, may be a cause of this problem. In addition, certain lung diseases like cancers and other tumors outside the pituitary gland may produce corticotropins.

This very unique and important cortisol hormone has many positive health benefits under normal circumstances. For example, it facilitates proper glucose metabolism, it regulates the release of insulin for blood sugar maintenance, improves the immune function, regularizes inflammatory response and assist with the control of your blood pressure.

However, when the body under goes excess or chronic stress, there is a greater level that is secreted and released in the bloodstream. That’s why it is called the stress hormone. This is the time it has negative effects on your health such as, reducing your cognitive ability and suppresses the normal function of your thyroid.

It causes hyperglycemia or high blood sugar in the blood plasma, it decreases the density of your bone, causes your muscle tissue to decrease, causes a higher increase in your blood pressure level. A serious most health problem with increased secretion is compromising the immune system, the body’s first line of defense against enemies attacking your health, so the body’s ability to heal itself and resist invading viruses, germs and bacteria is greatly reduced.

Excess cortisol in the blood increases the level of fat deposited in the abdominal area, the worst place to carry excess fat. This is the main cause of a greater amount of health problems than having fat in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems that are linked with too much fat in the stomach cavity are the development of higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other major health problems like the dangerous heart attacks and strokes!