Safe Use of Cortisol

Cortisol is a substance naturally created in the body that plays a key role in the regulation of your body's immune response system and is activated by stress. Cortisol is a hormone controlled by the adrenal cortex and can affect your mood, energy level and ability to get a good night's rest. Cortisol affects your bone health, ligament health, cardiovascular health and ability to perform as an athlete. Safe use of cortisol is important to keep your immune response system healthy and to avoid the symptoms of poor cortisol balance in the body.

Elevated Cortisol Symptoms

• When people are put under stress, cortisol acts to quickly metabolize vital fats, proteins and carbohydrates in order to prepare the body for a "fight or flight" response. When no fight or flight response is taken, your body experiences elevated cortisol symptoms that include chronic fatigue, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, mood swings and lack of motivation. Over time, elevated cortisol levels can become a chronic condition causing a breakdown in muscle tissue and suppressed immune function, resulting in your getting sick more often than normal.

Safe Cortisol Use

• Safe cortisol use, aside from the prescribed use of hydrocortisone (cortisol) given to reduce swelling and inflammation in injuries, involves helping your body regulate its cortisol levels naturally. Start a balanced exercise routine such as running, weight lifting or tennis and allow yourself plenty of rest between workouts. Too much exercise---overtraining---can cause elevated levels of cortisol.

  Watch your diet by ensuring that you consume the right amounts of food groups each day. For example, an adult female of average height and weight should consume six ounces of grains, two and a half cups of vegetables, two cups of fruits, three cups of low-fat milk or dairy, and five and a half ounces of low-fat meat and beans.

  Learn how to handle immediate stress by talking about your feelings with a friend, squeezing an office squeeze toy or simply walking away from a stressful situation. Avoid unnecessary stressful encounters such as being pulled into an argument with someone when there is no obvious or attainable goal.

  Ask your doctor about supplements sold in health food stores that help lower levels of cortisol. These cortisol inhibitors stem the breakdown of muscle tissue, allow athletes to train longer and may help you to lower your cortisol levels if diet and exercise do not help.

  Conversely, cortisol supplements can be effective if a patient has lower-than-normal levels of cortisol in his system. Chronic fatigue syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and fibromyalgia are all conditions that can be caused by low cortisol levels. See your doctor if you experience symptoms of these conditions and ask if a cortisol supplement is right for you.