Stress wreaks havoc on the body. Our primitive ancestors’ emergency responses were to acute situations, such as escaping a predator for example. In this fight or flight response, their bodies would respond to the need for glucose with an immediate release of the stress hormones, cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine from the adrenal glands. This would allow the liver and skeletal muscle to release glucose to temporarily respond to the crisis. In today’s fast paced world, the stressors we experience are constant and include a high glycemic diet, caffeine, alcohol, digestive issues, and emotional stress. In our modern world, our bodies respond to stressors in the same way, only the stressors are chronic. This long-term stress response leads to a persistent output of cortisol and eventual adrenal exhaustion.

This chronically elevated cortisol disrupts the endocrine system balance in several ways. One major organ involved in our endocrine system is the liver. The liver is responsible for conjugating hormones, or deactivating them and breaking them down to be eliminated from the body. Cortisol decreases the effectiveness of the liver to be able to do this.

The pancreas is also negatively impacted by elevated cortisol levels. When cortisol levels are high, cellular insulin receptors do not adequately respond to insulin. This signals the pancreas to produce even more insulin to increase glucose uptake into the cells, which leads to hyperinsulinemia and eventual insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to a host of problems including inflammatory issues, elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, poor mineral absorption by cells, type II diabetes, increased estrogen levels in men, and increased testosterone levels in women.

Chronic stress also effects the adrenal glands as they struggle to keep up with cortisol secretion. To keep up with this demand, the body will favor adrenal function over reproduction, metabolic, or endocrine function. This allows the adrenal glands to steal hormone precursors, such as pregnenolone, from the rest of the endocrine system. Pregnenolone is a precursor to adrenal and sex hormones. Only the adrenal glands can remove pregnenolone from the blood stream. The gonads have to manufacture their own from cholesterol. Cortisol is also derived from pregnenolone, and under chronic stress, the gonads may release pregnenolone to help make more cortisol, thereby depleting sex hormone reserves.

Supporting the foundations is the first step to supporting the endocrine system. The body cannot make hormones without fat, so ensuring a diet rich in good quality fats and essential fatty acids is critical.  Phospholipids make up cell membranes, and are also derived from fats. Heathy cell membranes are needed for cellular and hormonal communication to take place.

Supporting mineral balance is also critical. Each organ in the endocrine system is dependent on a certain mineral for optimal function. Iodine supports thyroid function, chromium the pancreas, manganese the pituitary gland, zinc the prostate, copper for the adrenals, and selenium for the gonads.

Adequate hydration is also important as it supports proper transport of hormones throughout the body and ensures proper viscosity of the blood and interstitial fluids. In addition to balancing the foundations, other tools to reduce stress such as exercise, mindfulness, and meditation will also help to lower cortisol levels and decrease its impact on the endocrine system.