High Cortisol Hormone Triggers Heart Disease, How to Overcome It?
Cortisol is a type of hormone produced by the adrenal glands to improve the body’s response to certain situations. The hormone cortisol tends to be high when we are under stress, which is usually indicated by feelings of anxiety and restlessness. Even the numbers can stay for quite a long time and can cause serious health problems.
What are the health problems that can arise due to the high cortisol hormone?
The increase in the hormone cortisol for a long time interferes with several physiological functions of the body, including:
Unbalanced blood sugar
Cortisol plays a role in providing energy in the form of blood glucose as a form of preparation for a stressful condition, but if it occurs for a long time it can cause damage and trigger the development of diabetes mellitus.
Blood vessel health problems
High levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood can complicate the distribution of oxygen-containing blood and increase the pressure in the blood vessels. So that it triggers damage to blood vessels and various heart diseases.
Belly bulge
Apart from being unsightly, a distended stomach has many potential health problems. The stomach has more fat cells than any other part of the body. The hormone cortisol is one of the triggers for the maturation of these fat cells, which triggers a faster accumulation of belly fat. In the medical world, a distended stomach is classified as central obesity.
Weakened immune system
The hormone cortisol plays a role in reducing inflammatory reactions in the body. But at the same time, this hormone also has a side effect on the immune system by reducing the immune response to the presence of germs that expose the body.
Reproductive health problems
The sex hormone androgens are produced from the same glands as the hormone cortisol. So that when the stress hormone cortisol is produced in excess, then by itself the secretion of sex hormones will tend to decrease.
Digestion system interference
High cortisol in the body decreases the body’s response to absorbing food, causing the digestive system to have difficulty digesting food properly. Food that is not digested properly can damage the surface of the intestinal mucosa, causing ulcers in the stomach, such as irritable bowel syndrome and colitis.
Cognitive disorders
Excess secretion of the hormone cortisol causes the brain to not work optimally, leading to symptoms such as difficulty remembering and brain fog. The work of the brain also has the potential to cause emotional distress and depression.
Various easy ways to reduce the hormone cortisol which is too high
To avoid potential health problems due to increased cortisol hormone, here are some ways you can do:
1. Adequate sleep time
Adequacy of sleep duration and quality greatly affects how you respond to stressful conditions which directly affect the secretion of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol release is influenced by the body’s biological clock. His levels are highest in the morning to make him more alert and energized, and then drop at night, making it easier to sleep. However, when someone tends to be active at night or has insomnia, your cortisol levels can tend to increase consistently for 24 hours.
Overcome the difficulty of regulating bedtime by doing a number of things such as:
- active physical activity – feeling tired from being active while you are awake will make it easier for you to fall asleep at night so it can help you schedule an optimal sleep time.
- Avoid consuming coffee at night.
- Limit exposure to light and distractions that make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
But if you have a shift job that makes it difficult to make up for the night’s sleep, take time to take a nap during the day to reduce the risk of sleep deprivation.
2. Identify your stress triggers
The emergence of negative thoughts or feelings of stress is the main sign of an increase in the hormone cortisol. Recognizing this is important in order to anticipate chronic stress and immediately think about what triggers that stress objectively. This way, you can more easily decide on how to solve the problem without feeling overwhelmed by the stress.
3. Learn to calm down
Basically there are various ways to calm down, when we fully understand the things that cause us to feel depressed. This is done by doing certain activities that can relieve stress, such as interacting with other people, playing with pets, listening to music or spending time in open spaces. Getting rid of feelings of stress for a moment has been shown to prevent the continuous increase in the hormone cortisol as well as an effective way to regulate stress.
4. Eat healthy foods
Stress usually triggers cravings for sweet and high-calorie foods. However, it should be avoided. High sugar intake is one of the triggers for the hormone cortisol, especially if you have metabolic syndrome such as obesity. Instead try consuming types of intake that are useful for lowering cortisol levels such as dark chocolate, fruit, green tea or black tea, foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics and mineral water. In addition, consumption of supplements that can help the brain work such as fish oil can also help respond to stress and overcome the increase in the hormone cortisol.
5. Exercise, but don’t push yourself
Exercising too hard can increase the hormone cortisol, especially if you basically don’t exercise regularly. However, the response to the hormone cortisol tends to decrease as the body adapts to increased physical activity. That is why if you are just getting used to exercising, choose a mild type of exercise first.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
