How Cortisol Impacts Your Hormones As A Woman
Cortisol is known as the body’s main stress hormone, but it does a lot more than make us feel stressed or anxious. It has a wide-spread impact on the variety of hormones and systems throughout the body. This article will give you a high-level look at how elevated cortisol levels can impact various hormones and hormonal conditions, such as insulin, PCOS, fertility, thyroid health and PMS.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a a crucial metabolic hormone made in the pancreas that allows your cells to be able to take up sugars for energy to use now or store it up as glycogen to use later. It’s not only essential for keeping blood sugar levels stable, but for overall hormonal balance, metabolism and healthy weight, thyroid function, adrenal health, sleep, energy and more. Elevated cortisol levels increase blood sugar levels, as the body’s demand for energy increases. When this occurs frequently, the insulin receptors on the cells can “burn out” causing resistance to insulin, which leaves the cells unable to utilize blood sugar properly. Poor diet is a huge underlying cause of both insulin resistance and high cortisol levels and must be addressed in order to improve this area.
PCOS
Insulin resistance and blood sugar imbalances are a major cause of PCOS, which as we discussed above, is also largely affected by cortisol levels. High stress hormones and living in fight-or-flight increases inflammation in the body and depletes nutrients such as the B vitamin inositol, which is a key insulin regulator for PCOS. Additionally, it contributes to imbalances in the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Fertility
High cortisol levels impact fertility in many ways. Cortisol sounds the stress alarm in the body, triggering an inflammatory response, which if left unchecked, can develop into chronic inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is one of the driving causes of infertity and stress is a major player. Additionally, when cortisol levels spike, this triggers the “fight-or-flight”, fear response in the brain. This is a natural, healthy response your body mounts to a potential stressor — whether real or imagined. The problem occurs when you are living in a heightened state of stress, whether due to mental, emotional or physical stressors. Long-term, this tells the body to prioritize safety over making a baby, as your survival is always the number one priority. Additionally, chronic stress depletes crucial nutrients as well as the hormone progesterone, which is essential for healthy fertility.
Hypothyroidism
High cortisol levels are also implicated in hypothyroidism, which can not only result in changes in metabolism and weight, but also in energy, mood, fertility, heavy periods and more. Excess cortisol initially causes an increase in thyroid hormones, but can eventually cause depletion due to poor thyroid hormone production and conversion of T4 to active T3. Elevated stress hormones also increase the desire for sugar and comfort foods, leaving you crashing, struggling with sleep and relying on caffeine to get through the day, which only exacerbates thyroid issues further.
PMS
Elevated cortisol can create imbalances in estrogen and progesterone levels, due to depleting progesterone in favour of its own production. Low progesterone and estrogen dominance are a important underlying factors for you’re experiencing PMS symptoms, such as mood swings, bloating, irritability, pain, heavy bleeding and excessive cravings for sugar or carbs, especially right before your cycle. Furthermore, high cortisol interferes with normal neurotransmitter production including serotonin, which can contribute to pre-menstrual depression.
Getting proper testing can be a great first step towards supporting hormonal harmony in your body and lowering stress hormones. Inquire about cortisol testing today!
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Sources:
Hormone Intelligence by Dr. Aviva Romm, MD
