Cortisol and chronic stress
The stress response of being chronically stressed will slowly wear on your body over time. It can lead to health complications like increased blood pressure, heart disease, depression, anxiety or even a stroke!
Remember that cortisol secretion is in response to emotional distress. Stressful thinking activates the amygdala, which is the oldest part of our brain. This activation causes an increase in the stress hormone production and reduces serotonin–our happy hormone!
Cortisol, stress and the immune system
Cortisol also affects our immune systems. When cortisol is released, it reduces the body’s natural killer cells, leading to infection or a cold!
This stress hormone has many exciting functions, one of which affects our immune systems. It is the hormone that releases glucose and fatty acids out of storage for energy. Once cortisol levels are high, it tells our immune system to slow down to not over-exert ourselves in response to a stressor.
This stress hormone has two variants: short-acting (SAC), which peaks quickly and then slowly falls over time, and long-acting (LAC), which is released at a more constant level over the day.
LAC cortisol is associated with belly fat, and the first few hours of SAC are associated with belly fat, but the duration of SAC is not correlated to body weight.
The level of cortisol and glucose in your blood may contribute to how much fat you have on your abdomen. In addition, if someone has a high fasting or post-meal insulin level (a hormone that tells cells to take up sugar), they will be more likely to store abdominal fat.
Furthermore, if someone has a high level of the stress hormone and glucose in the blood (as would be seen with chronic stress), they will also have more belly fat stores, a condition called hormonal belly.
No one factor contributes to visceral or “deep” obesity. Instead, it’s a combination of genetics, diet, lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking, and lack of exercise.
If you want a better idea of what your stress hormone levels look like, measure them in the morning before breakfast when they’re at their highest point for that day. This can be done by taking one sample from:
- A finger prick
- A traditional blood test
- A saliva sample
The main takeaway is that managing the stress hormone could be a new way to manage obesity.