Cortisol & Weight Loss

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex of the body as a response to the secretion of the adrenal stimulating hormone (ACSH) from the pituary gland. Cortisol is hugely instrumental in regulating energy production, healing, the immune system, and regulating blood sugar. As with everything, every agent should be in moderation; thus, an increase or decrease in cortisol may be disadvantageous to your health.

Facts

• As mentioned in the previous paragraph, an increase or decrease in cortisol may not be beneficial to one's health. In fact, if a person has little cortisol in their system, the person may suffer from fatigue, exhaustion and may also acquire a disease in the endocrine system known Addison's disease. On the other hand, high amounts of cortisol in the system can cause weight gain, weakened immune function, stomach ulcers, and quick aging.

Stress

• Stress is a result of abnormal levels of cortisol in the body. During times of psychological and physical stress, excess cortisol is produced and at the same time promotes weight gain, depositing fat mostly in abdominal area. This still depends on the nature of each individual. Some react to stress with high levels of cortisol, inducing the person to eat more, while some react with less cortisol and therefore eat less. From this fact, companies developing diet supplements have been looking at diminishing the production of cortisol so as to promote weight loss.

Cortisol Weight Loss Products

• As weight loss and dieting have grown in popularity over the years, companies have begun to manufacture weight loss products that can dramatically decrease cortisol in the body when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Some companies even claim that individuals can lose as much as 10 to 50 pounds. The basic function of most cortisol weight loss products is to increase metabolism and energy levels.

Main Ingredients

• Many weight loss products have ingredients that either increase energy levels or are used as anti-stress agents. One example is banaba, which is popularly used to regulate blood sugar levels and is considered to suppress appetitie. Magnolia bark is another popular ingredient which is used by the Chinese to decrease stress levels.

Other Ingredients

• Ingredients that can increase energy levels as well as metabolism are green tea extract and bitter orange extract. However, the ingredient ephedra, which has been banned, has some properties similar to bitter orange extract since it affects the heart and blood pressure. Even though the ingredients mentioned are beneficial to the health of a person, there are still no concrete studies proving that they truly promotes weight loss and effectively suppress the appetite of a person.