Stress can have very wide-reaching effects in the body. This is because all the body’s systems are dependent on one another for proper functioning. A change in one hormone, such as cortisol, has an effect on many of the body’s other hormones. The following chart illustrates how chronic stress can lead to imbalances in many other hormones.
If you follow the path from cholesterol down to cortisol (highlighted), you can see that as more cortisol is produced, there will be less of the precursors available for the hormones downstream, such as testosterone and the estrogens (i.e., estrone, estradiol and estriol). This can lead to symptoms such as PMS, low libido, menstrual irregularities, hot flashes and the inability to gain or maintain muscle. It also negatively impacts proper thyroid function, which can lead to a whole host of symptoms, including dry skin, dry eyes, hair loss, gastrointestinal disturbances, sleep issues, fatigue and weight gain.
Another hormone produced by the adrenals, DHEA, is also affected by stress. DHEA is considered the anti-aging hormone because it signals the body to build muscle and break down fat for energy use. DHEA also stimulates libido since it is a precursor to testosterone. During periods of prolonged high stress, DHEA production, like cortisol, is lowered. This also can contribute to hormone imbalances, loss of sex drive, fatigue, muscle loss and fat gain over time.
Therefore keep stress under control, or at the very least minimizing the negative impact of stress on our bodies is vitally important to our long term health. This starts with identifying where our stress is coming from; and it’s probably from more places than you think…
Learn more about stress and your health:
[postlist 2]