What is cortisol used for?
Cortisol is an essential substance that, along with testosterone and adrenaline, is included in a particular group of hormones responsible for fight or flight. Its task is to give the body energy so that it is possible to save the body in a threatening situation. But what are the most critical tasks of cortisol?
There is no denying that its most important function is to increase blood glucose levels if the body finds itself in a stressful situation. What effect will this have on the body? There will then be a significant constriction of blood vessels with a simultaneous acceleration of the heart rate. This will cause all the body’s attention to be diverted to the muscles to provide maximum practical work. So, as you can guess, this will significantly reduce the brain’s cognitive abilities, reduce concentration and logical thinking ability, and cause problems with long-term memory.
Of course, this is not the only task of cortisol because it is also responsible for inhibiting immune reactions, including inflammatory and allergic ones. It also affects improving bile juice secretion or stimulating calcium release from bones. Not to be forgotten, it also has a strong correlation with insulin inhibition.
What are the symptoms of elevated cortisol?
So as you can see, cortisol is an essential hormone responsible for several different mechanisms and functions of our body. So now it’s worth considering what the consequences of disturbing its levels may be. By far, the most common problem in this situation is elevated cortisol levels. So what can be the reason for this, and what symptoms does it cause in the body?
Elevated cortisol is most often caused by prolonged and very severe stress resulting from, for example, professional life. Moreover, improper diet reduces testosterone levels and even fasted physical activity may also be responsible for elevated cortisol.
But what will all this mean for the body? What will be the body’s adverse reactions caused by elevated cortisol levels? Typically, this situation will result in increased blood pressure, muscle weakness, frequent urination, insomnia, decreased libido, or a high predisposition to infection. However, what is extremely important, a huge problem is also a rapid change in body composition, i.e. excessive accumulation of fat tissue, especially in the neck, face and collarbones.
How to reduce cortisol levels and lose weight?
So as you can see, the adverse effects of elevated cortisol have a broad impact on the human body. Not only do they contribute to its overall weakness, but they also cause the visual side of the body to deteriorate. Lowering cortisol is therefore very important for many reasons. However, how can this be done?
By far, the most important thing to start with normalizing cortisol levels is a lifestyle change. It needs to become much more harmonious, calm and undoubtedly less stressful.
Another thing you absolutely must take care of is getting enough sleep. As it turns out, inadequate rest can hurt reduced energy levels during the day and may contribute to impaired production of cortisol. So it’s worth remembering to go to bed at approximately the same time, and that sleep should last about 7-8 hours.
The critical issue when looking at the possibility of naturally lowering cortisol levels is to take care of your daily diet. First of all, it is essential to remember to drink enough water every day. Moreover, it is advisable to limit sugar intake during the day. You can help yourself by eating dark chocolate, bananas or natural yoghurt without sugar.
Dietary supplements that help lower cortisol levels
Reducing cortisol levels should not be based solely on diet or lifestyle changes. It is essential, in this case, the use of appropriate aids. Of course, you can use pharmacological agents, but a much better idea is dietary supplements.
For what reason is it worth using dietary supplements? First of all, they are available without a prescription, so they are easy to buy. What is more, they do not contain harmful substances and do not cause adverse side effects – which, unfortunately, cannot be said about pharmacological agents. Finally, it is worth mentioning that dietary supplements are based on a very carefully selected composition, so they provide a very effective but also safe for the body to reduce and normalize cortisol levels.
What measures can be recommended? Of course, a good choice are simple remedies such as lemon balm, which help fight excessive stress, but most of all, bet on products such as SNS Inhibit-E or Blackstone Labs PCT V (Laxogenin + Arimistane). They contain natural substances that stabilize cortisol levels and numerous auxiliary additives. Other supplements such as Centurion Labz Retreat, TWP Legend or Core Labs Estro Guard are excellent choices. An essential substance contained in them is testosterone, which is known to help stabilize cortisol levels naturally. These supplements are sold in large packages and come in easy to take tablets, so no one should have a problem taking them daily.
