9 replies to this topic

[Jiminy Glick]

So since your body releases cortisol when it is stressed and it is called the "stress hormone" by lowering this hormone do you decrease stress? Is cortisol the chemical compound of stress? If not what is the chemical compound of stress? I am a little confused on this. 

 

I am asking this because I am learning about Quercetin and Ashwangdha which both lower cortisol and I am leaning towards buying Quercetin. However I should ask does anyone know which works better for reducing cortisol definitely? 

 

 

[SimplyHuman]

This claim is grotesquely oversimplified and misrepresented. Yes high cortisol could lead to adverse side effects including a diminished inability to cope with stress. However: low cortisol will have severe side effects as well including reduced testosterone levels (which will affect neurotransmitters including serotonin) and will affect igf1 release amongst other needed hormones.
I strongly recommend rhodiola rosea since it seems to be a smart adaptogenic - if you have too high cortisol if will bring it to normal and if you have too low the same thing will happen.
Not sure about ashwaghanda.

[aconita]

High cortisol is a consequence of stress, not a cause.

 

In order to lower it to healthy levels take life easy and optimize sleeping as much as you can.

 

 

[Jiminy Glick]

This claim is grotesquely oversimplified and misrepresented. Yes high cortisol could lead to adverse side effects including a diminished inability to cope with stress. However: low cortisol will have severe side effects as well including reduced testosterone levels (which will affect neurotransmitters including serotonin) and will affect igf1 release amongst other needed hormones.
I strongly recommend rhodiola rosea since it seems to be a smart adaptogenic - if you have too high cortisol if will bring it to normal and if you have too low the same thing will happen.
Not sure about ashwaghanda.

 

I think where maybe some of the confusion comes in is that we measure cortisol to measure stress, is that correct? Also so high cortisol effects the ability to recover and cope with stress? So unless you bring your cortisol down your essentially going to be prone to stress. I looked into Rhodioloa Rosea, it appears to be in the same class as Ashwagandha wihich is a adaptogenic as well. 

Edited by Jiminy Glick, 11 April 2017 - 09:55 AM.

[SimplyHuman]

This claim is grotesquely oversimplified and misrepresented. Yes high cortisol could lead to adverse side effects including a diminished inability to cope with stress. However: low cortisol will have severe side effects as well including reduced testosterone levels (which will affect neurotransmitters including serotonin) and will affect igf1 release amongst other needed hormones.
I strongly recommend rhodiola rosea since it seems to be a smart adaptogenic - if you have too high cortisol if will bring it to normal and if you have too low the same thing will happen.
Not sure about ashwaghanda.

I think where maybe some of the confusion comes in is that we measure cortisol to measure stress, is that correct? Also so high cortisol effects the ability to recover and cope with stress? So unless you bring your cortisol down your essentially going to be prone to stress. I looked into Rhodioloa Rosea, it appears to be in the same class as Ashwagandha wihich is a adaptogenic as well.

Abnormally high cortisol is an indicator of high stress. What happens with time in these cases is that sooner rather than later cortisol production halts and they end up with abnormally low cortisol. People with PTSD tend to have abnormally low cortisol, although we would have guessed they have high cortisol.
The adrenals simply couldn't keep up and crashed.

I recommended rhodiola since it's the supplement that worked and helped me personally but ashwaghanda didn't. And functional medicine practitioners tend to recommend rhodiola as opposed to ashwaghanda - not sure why.

[Jiminy Glick]

 

 

This claim is grotesquely oversimplified and misrepresented. Yes high cortisol could lead to adverse side effects including a diminished inability to cope with stress. However: low cortisol will have severe side effects as well including reduced testosterone levels (which will affect neurotransmitters including serotonin) and will affect igf1 release amongst other needed hormones.
I strongly recommend rhodiola rosea since it seems to be a smart adaptogenic - if you have too high cortisol if will bring it to normal and if you have too low the same thing will happen.
Not sure about ashwaghanda.

I think where maybe some of the confusion comes in is that we measure cortisol to measure stress, is that correct? Also so high cortisol effects the ability to recover and cope with stress? So unless you bring your cortisol down your essentially going to be prone to stress. I looked into Rhodioloa Rosea, it appears to be in the same class as Ashwagandha wihich is a adaptogenic as well.

Abnormally high cortisol is an indicator of high stress. What happens with time in these cases is that sooner rather than later cortisol production halts and they end up with abnormally low cortisol. People with PTSD tend to have abnormally low cortisol, although we would have guessed they have high cortisol.
The adrenals simply couldn't keep up and crashed.

I recommended rhodiola since it's the supplement that worked and helped me personally but ashwaghanda didn't. And functional medicine practitioners tend to recommend rhodiola as opposed to ashwaghanda - not sure why.

 

 

Okay, I'll do further research into it, thanks. By the way taurine also lowers cortisol levels. 

Edited by Jiminy Glick, 11 April 2017 - 03:50 PM.

[juncheng]

What does cortisol do exactly? Cortisol receptors are scattered throughout the entire body, found in nearly every cell, and serve different essential functions, including:

• helping to keep us awake and alert
• preventing fatigue or brain fog
• keeping our metabolisms running (it helps us burn fat for energy)
• balancing blood sugar levels (since it allows cells to take up and use glucose for energy)
• reducing inflammation and helping with healing
• balancing fluid levels based on salt and water intake
• contributing to control over blood pressure
• helping with many cognitive processes like learning and memory formulation
• allowing us to respond to and escape perceived dangers
• helping to develop the fetus during pregnancy

 

Looks like an important thing to me. Maybe start with rhodiola and see what results you will get. Because its important to not overdo.

[Jiminy Glick]

 

What does cortisol do exactly? Cortisol receptors are scattered throughout the entire body, found in nearly every cell, and serve different essential functions, including:

• helping to keep us awake and alert
• preventing fatigue or brain fog
• keeping our metabolisms running (it helps us burn fat for energy)
• balancing blood sugar levels (since it allows cells to take up and use glucose for energy)
• reducing inflammation and helping with healing
• balancing fluid levels based on salt and water intake
• contributing to control over blood pressure
• helping with many cognitive processes like learning and memory formulation
• allowing us to respond to and escape perceived dangers
• helping to develop the fetus during pregnancy

 

Looks like an important thing to me. Maybe start with rhodiola and see what results you will get. Because its important to not overdo.

 

 

Yeah I am buying some Rhodiola soon to replace Kratom. Best to buy in bulk powder. 

Edited by Jiminy Glick, 19 May 2017 - 10:08 AM.

[ceridwen]

Is cortisol really necessary? Doesn't it also damage the hippocampus?

[SearchHorizon]

Is cortisol really necessary? Doesn't it also damage the hippocampus?

 

Cortisol is necessary, for multiple reasons: (1) it prompts the body to tap expensive reserves of energy to cover short-term stress (which would be essential); and (2) it is linked to HGH production necessary for adaptation. 

 

If one has a high basal cortisol level (indicative of stress), it makes sense to try to lower it through addressing the cause (the stress). On the other hand, an optical modulation of cortisol is essential.