When you are under stress, your adrenal glands produce certain hormones in response to the stress. One of the hormones they produce during stress is cortisol, a steroid hormone commonly called “the stress hormone”.

The stress hormones are made from cholesterol and then converted into the various stress hormones, including cortisol. Your body requires vitamins and minerals to convert cholesterol into hormones.  That’s one reason why a good diet and the supplementation that’s right for you is so important. Your body needs the nutrients required to build the hormones.

Cortisol is the main hormone that is released during periods of stress and it is important because of the effects it can have on your body and on your immune system.

Long-term excessive production of cortisol can have three major effects on your body:

• It can increase blood sugar
• It can decrease protein
• It can decrease muscle mass

This could create a significant impact on your immune system because your immune system needs protein to function properly.

Cortisol can also affect your ability to focus and your memory, and especially short-term memory. If you find yourself wondering why you came into a room or forgetting what you were supposed to be doing, that could be an effect of cortisol and stress.

Cortisol can affect sleep cycles as well. It can lead to difficulty sleeping. Sleeplessness and fatigue can increase the stress on your body and may further weaken your immune system.

Another thing that cortisol can do that can weaken your immune system is lower your copper levels. Copper is a mineral that your immune system needs. Zinc can also interfere with your copper levels. Zinc can sometimes be helpful to the immune system in a specific way and under certain circumstances, but zinc competes with copper for absorption. This competition between zinc and copper can also lower copper levels. That’s why it’s important not to take supplements randomly; you need to take the vitamins and minerals and herbs that are right for you.

It’s not possible in an article such as this to give sweeping advice about the “best” diet or what specific supplements to take to support your body during stress. Each person’s individual situation with regard to overall health, medications they are taking, and other factors is different, so each person’s requirement is different. Your best course of action is to consult your naturopathic doctor for a full assessment of your specific needs.

Green Apple Health Care practices Cause Based Medicine™ which is the systematic process of finding and treating the core cause of health concerns by using a classic naturopathic approach combined with scientific research to optimize patient outcomes.

Our focus is cause-based.  We are relentless in identifying the root cause, the “why” behind the symptoms, and we address our treatment programs to the cause of the health condition, not the symptoms.

Call us at (780) 485-9468 to book a consultation.  If you prefer, online booking is available for both new patients and repeat patients.