Hey, everyone! Since it's the holidays I figured, why not stress you out more than you probably already are? This week we take a second look at stress, but more importantly, THE "stress hormone", Cortisol.
In an about.com article about stress
and cortisol, Elizabeth Scott, M.S. tells us that cortisol is:
"Involved in the following
functions:
·
Proper glucose
metabolism
·
Regulation of blood
pressure
·
Insulin release for
blood sugar maintanence
·
Immune function
·
Inflammatory response
She also goes on to say that,
"Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like
those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects,
such as:
· Impaired cognitive performance
· Suppressed thyroid function
· Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
· Decreased bone density
· Decrease in muscle tissue
· Higher blood
pressure
· Lowered immunity
and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health
consequences
· Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater
amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some
of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart
attacks, strokes, the development of metabolic syndrome, higher levels of “bad”
cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead
to other health problems! "
In an article about acupuncture and stress, Li
Zheng, Ph.D., Lic. Acu. says:
"Acupuncture can reduce stress-induced
increases of the blood cortisol level.[...] Cortisol and glucose levels will
generally increase because of stress. This response can lead to suppressed
immune function and therefore infection, high blood sugar levels, or other
complications after surgery. Combining acupuncture with general anesthesia can
inhibit this stress response so that the stress hormone cortisol is adjusted to
precisely the right level: not too high to cause tissue damage and not too low
to create chronic inflammation.
How can acupuncture increase cortisone level in one
condition and reduce the same hormone in another? This happens because
acupuncture can generally balance thyroid, adrenal gland, and other gland
functions so that the levels of the different hormones are optimized. When
inflammation continues, our bodies need more cortisol. Acupuncture stimulates
the adrenal gland to produce more by enhancing its function instead of exhausting
it as caffeine does. When our bodies produce too much cortisol to cope with
stress, acupuncture reduces cortisol production by eliminating the stress
factor and enhancing liver and kidney function to quickly discharge the extra
stress hormones."
In this case, I think Cortisol is more
dangerous than stress itself. When you have an excess of any kind of hormone in
the body, it's usually NEVER a good thing. If you have been battling with
chronic stress or any kind of stress at all, we highly encourage you to try
acupuncture. We are sure you will experience positive benefits beyond what you
are hoping for. And, mention our blog for a FREE stress treatment! You have
nothing to lose (but your stress, of course) and everything to gain!
Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving,
everyone!
Until next week,
Daisy
P.S. Below are the links to the full
articles I mentioned if you'd like to read more!
No comments:
Post a Comment