Cortisol Controls Stress, but What Else?
Cortisol helps regulate blood sugar levels, metabolism, immune response, and blood pressure. It balances electrolytes, and it aids in pregnancy.
It’s made in the adrenal glands, which are located just above the kidneys. That production is controlled by hormones released by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, both of which are found in the brain.
In times of great stress, cortisol floods the bloodstream, allowing energy sources to be available and preparing the body for the stress. When working properly, brain signals tamp down the production of cortisol after the danger has passed.
“It’s an important regulating feature that keeps us from getting really high cortisol levels,” Nieman says.
That feature doesn’t get your cortisol levels completely back to normal though, she says. While that may be cause for concern, especially for people who remain under constant stress, it’s a question that needs more research, Nieman says.
Stress can be psychological, such as that caused by problems at home or at work. It can also be physical. Fevers and low blood sugar, for example, are both stressors, Courgi says.
Stress isn't the only cause of higher cortisol levels. Other culprits include:
- Lifestyle habits, such as heavy drinking, smoking, lack of sleep, and a bad diet
- Depression
- Benign tumors on the pituitary gland or, more rarely, on the adrenal glands, can cause cortisol production to skyrocket, a condition called Cushing’s syndrome.
“There’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that people under chronic stress all have chronically elevated cortisol,” Nieman says. “But if they do, do they have high risk of medical diseases? And, if so, is it the high cortisol that’s causing it? You’d need to do a study that shows that reducing cortisol also reduced the risk of disease.”
Benefits of Lowering Cortisol?
Courgi and Nieman say more research is needed before they can say for sure that lowering levels of the hormone leads to better health. Still, Courgi says the evidence on cortisol’s effect on memory is compelling.
“The knowledge we have now certainly suggests that if you can reduce stress, reduce cortisol, you can prevent memory loss,” he says, “but we need more research to prove it.”
Practice healthy habits if you want to lower cortisol, he says. Quit smoking, and ease up on alcohol. Also, “mindful meditation, which calms and relaxes you and stops the wheels from spinning, has been proved to lower cortisol levels.”