Dawson Church
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 If our system is flooded with stress hormones like adrenaline and Cortisol for a few minutes, in response, for instance, to a near-collision with another car on the freeway, the incident quickly ends as a biochemical event. However, if we hold onto resentments and emotionally painful thoughts for extended periods of time, the very biochemicals that are meant to save us during an emergency become toxins.
Long-term exposure to Cortisol and other stress hormones has a host of bad effects. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 And, though it makes sense that overstimulation due to stress hormones would interfere with sleep, there's also scientific proof of this: A study of 15 chronic insomniacs found that elevated levels of the stress hormones Cortisol and adrenaline were inversely related to the amount and quality of sleep.7
This dynamic can create a vicious cycle wherein stress leads to sleeplessness, and sleeplessness, in turn, creates a wide variety of problems that can further exacerbate stress. |
Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
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| Exposure to fluorescent lights has also been linked to an increase in stress hormones. Remember—stress hormones disrupt healthy bowel function and contribute to a toxic intestinal environment!
Circadian Rhythm:
The internal biorhythms of living things that are finely attuned to the changing days, seasons, and environmental.
Toxic Effects Of Geopathic Stress
Geopathic stress is produced by a disturbance of the earth's natural electromagnetic field. Underground water, mineral concentrations, tunnels, and fault lines distort the natural frequencies of the earth's field. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 He provides a brief overview: "If we take a look at the stress hormones, these are epinephrine, which is commonly known as adrenalin, Cortisol and DHEA. Epinephrine is a short-acting hormone that is released in the fight or flight reaction. For example, if we are almost involved in a car accident our heart starts pounding, racing, and we feel shaky. This is from the release of a lot of adrenaline. Cortisol and DHEA are long-acting stress hormones, which are released over a longer period of time. They all have slightly different effects on the body. |
Dawson Church
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| All the stress hormones are flowing, just as they were in Scenario One, but they're doing your body no practical good. No promotion will come as a result of you overloading your system with Cortisol, one of the primary stress hormones. You won't feel better after being high on adrenaline and norepinephrine, two others. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Janine Blackman, medical director of the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Medicine, has another theory—the "mindful" nature of yoga creates a healthier response to stress, lowering stress hormones and preventing stress-driven eating.
"Middle age is a full time in life," Blackman says. "A better response to this stress can lower Cortisol and other stress hormones, which helps physiologically. If Cortisol is elevated, you're more likely to have insulin resistance, which is central to obesity. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 Stress Test The hypotiialamic-prtuHary-adrenal (HPA) axis connects the nervous system and the stress hormones, it all starts with the hypothalami's releasing a stress hormone that influences your pituitary gland to release another hormone into your bloodstream that stimulates the adrenal glands and your autopilot nervous system. The result: Your blood pressure skies high.
Figure $.1 Captain of Stress stress hormones whip one another into a frenzy when you have to fight or flee. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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| Decreased testosterone levels can also lead to an increase in blood levels of the stress hormones adrenaline and Cortisol. If this state persists for an extended period of time, sleep disturbances can result. "Testosterone has been shown to be an antagonist of the stress hormones," says Eugene Shippen, MD, author of The Testosterone Syndrome. "More testosterone, less stress hormone production."11
There also appears to be a direct relationship between testosterone levels and REM sleep, according to a clinical study. |
| And, though it makes sense that overstimulation due to stress hormones would interfere with sleep, there's also scientific proof of this: A study of 15 chronic insomniacs found that elevated levels of the stress hormones Cortisol and adrenaline were inversely related to the amount and quality of sleep.7
This dynamic can create a vicious cycle wherein stress leads to sleeplessness, and sleeplessness, in turn, creates a wide variety of problems that can further exacerbate stress. |
Jack Challem
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 Under chronic stress, the body secretes stress hormones almost all the time.
When we secrete high levels of stress hormones for weeks, months, or years, they stop protecting us and instead start to damage the body. Elevated levels of the stress hormone Cortisol are particularly toxic to brain cells. Cortisol interferes with the production of new brain cells, shrinks brain size, and hinders thinking and memory. Chronic stress makes us more anxious, jumpy, fearful, and impatient—and later, fuzzy and fatigued.
Elevated Cortisol levels have other undesirable effects as well. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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 In response to stress, vitamin C is released along with stress hormones. Many different kinds of stress cause the release of vitamin C from the adrenals. More vitamin C is needed during extreme hot and cold temperatures and with exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, or mercury.
Lysine
Vitamin C
Carnitine
Vitamin C is needed to transform the essential amino acid lysine into the amino acid carnitine
FAT
Carnitine
Mitochondria
Carnitine is needed to transport fatty acids to the mitochondria for energy production
Figure 2-5 Vitamin C and carnitine are needed for burning fat. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 When they sense that they are in danger, they do what every other sentient being does— they secrete large amounts of stress hormones. In the lab, the frogs were pretty unstressed because there were no predators around.
But in the wild, they're constantly surrounded by predators that would like to turn them into a tasty lunch. So in an ingenious experiment (published in the journal Ecological Applications), biologist Rick Relyea decided to test what happens when you put frogs in a stressful situation and then expose them to carbaryl. Short answer: They become dead frogs. |
| Avoid the Number-One Brain Shrinker
I've written elsewhere about the effect of stress hormones on weight. Executive summary: Stress makes you fat. And now I'm going to give you more bad news: It also shrinks your brain. No kidding.
An important structure in the brain essential to memory called the hippocampus actually shrinks as a result of stress. The total number of cells decreases, and if that weren't bad enough, the existing cells shrink. (The hippocampus is also one of the first regions to suffer damage in Alzheimer's disease. |
| The effect of chronic levels of stress hormones on the brain are incalculable. If you think you can't afford to take the time to do some stress-reducing activities, rethink that.
You can't afford not to.
Ways to reduce stress are as easy to find as your own bathroom. A soak in a warm bath works wonders, especially when you add some epsom salts (loaded with relaxing magnesium).
Ditto lying in bed by candlelight reading a book that doesn't have anything to do with work. O
Making love works great, plus it raises both your 03
O serotonin and the bonding hormone oxytocin. |
| Meditation is probably the most reliable and proven way to bring down stress hormones, but if that's not your cup of tea try some simple breathing exercises. (There's a reason they tell you to take a deep breath when you're boiling mad—deep breathing and stress are incompatable). If you want a really easy, structured way to reduce stress, try the Relaxation Response (see page 291).
Whatever you choose, do something.
Ultimately the health of your brain depends on it. |
| Not only will you absorb a ton of muscle-relaxing magnesium through your skin, you'll also lower your stress hormones. Try it!
Though oral magnesium supplements will help the huge majority of people, tough cases or people with specific health challenges may need magnesium intravenously. According to my friend Alan Gaby, M.D., an icon of integrative medicine, "approximately 50 percent of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia show considerable improvement after receiving several intravenous injections of a combination of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, and vitamin C. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| Captain of Stress stress hormones whip one another into a frenzy when you have to fight or flee. As captains of the stress team, Cortisol soothes your response (by turning off your immune system), and epinephrine gets your blood moving (sometimes too quickly). You survive to live another day, but at a price. which are further manifested through such things as low sex drive and high blood pressure—both associated with aging. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 Since DHEA blocks the effects of stress hormones like Cortisol and has a protective effect on neurons in animal models, it has been described as an antistress and antiag-ing hormone. DHEA, since it is a precursor of testosterone, is being used by athletes to build muscle mass, but it is not very effective for this purpose. DHEA is also promoted for the prevention of normal aging. Studies have not shown that DHEA prevents the changes in body mass and chemistry that occur with normal aging. |
Andreas Moritz
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 Caffeine, being a nerve toxin, stimulates the adrenal glands to secrete stress hormones and to trigger a strong immune response that may give you the false impression that this newly found energy and vitality was somehow provided by the consumed beverage.
The secret behind these stimulants is that the immune reaction mobilizes enough energy for you to feel perked up and clear-headed, at least for as long as your body remains stimulated. To remove the caffeine from the blood, the body is forced to take water from its cells. |
| At the same time, the fear induces a strong stress response (causing the release of stress hormones) that can last as long as the conflict or threat does. Both of these changes in the body's biochemistry practically prevent the body from healing itself. In other words, while being gripped by the fear of death from cancer or any other disease that threatens health and happiness, the diagnosis becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. What most people don't know is that the diagnosis of disease is often more harmful than the disease itself. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| When you don't get enough sleep, for instance, your body produces more stress hormones, making you more vulnerable to the damaging effects of stress. Evaluate what areas in your life need your attention, and work on fixes.
Do the YOU2 Workout (found in the next chapter), walk thirty minutes, stretch, do yoga—just get up and move! Exercise, simply, is one of life's greatest stress relievers.
Do the opposite. Every emotion has an "urge to act" that goes with it. When we feel afraid or anxious, we avoid things; when we are depressed or sad, we withdraw (stay in bed). |
Andreas Moritz
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| The stress hormones adrenaline and Cortisol are naturally released into the bloodstream during the early morning hours to promote physical activity.
• Immunity and iron concentrations in the blood reach low levels in women during menstruation and high levels during ovulation.
• The liver is more active during the night than it is during the day.
• Red bone marrow produces more blood cells during the night.
• Most digestive enzymes are secreted during the day.
• Bile secretions peak at midday.
• The large bowel is most active and efficient during the early morning hours. |
Michael T. Murray
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 The uncomfortable symptoms experienced by the "hypoglycemic" are not from low blood sugar, but rather from high amounts of stress hormones released to prevent seriously low blood sugar.
Drug-induced hypoglycemia is a potentially more serious or even deadly form of hypoglycemia that can occur in diabetics treated with insulin or certain diabetic medications. As in reactive hypoglycemia, the first symptoms of rapidly dropping blood sugar in hypoglycemia caused by medication are due to the release of the stress hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and Cortisol. |
Anne Harrington
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 People who lack social support," the Newsweek article explained, "tend to stew in stress hormones all the time, not just when they're counting down by 17s." Over time, this kind of chronic loneliness can—literally—break our hearts. That conclusion in turn leads to a simple prescription: to get well again, we need to recommit to community and intimacy; we need to recommit to one another. Human ties are healing ties.
Of course, on some level we did not need mind-body medicine to tell us that there was something wrong with modern social relations. |
Michael T. Murray
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| To avoid dangerously low blood sugar levels, the body senses the rapidly dropping blood sugar and the adrenal glands release high amounts of epinephrine (adrenaline) and Cortisol, stress hormones that stimulate the rapid release of stored sugar from the muscles and liver. The uncomfortable symptoms experienced by the "hypoglycemic" are not from low blood sugar, but rather from high amounts of stress hormones released to prevent seriously low blood sugar. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| It is not the strongest or the fastest who wins the game of life, but the most adaptable. When stress hormones damage tissues, cells, and organs in the ways we talked about above, stem cells replace damaged cells and make the repairs. It's one of the reasons why we can't constantly be mentally revved; we need to idle our brains to allow the stem cells to do their job and replenish those cells and tissues that have been battered by bosses, bullies, or brats. |
Mike Adams
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 The caffeine in the coffee then makes your adrenal glands produce stress hormones such as adrenalin, causing a "fight or flight" response that feels like a heightened sense of alertness, but eventually turns into a tired feeling that is worse than before. Looking for another energy booster, you drink another cup of coffee and perhaps a soft drink, forcing your adrenal glands to produce more stress hormones.
If you maintain this behavior day after day, eventually you will tire out your adrenal glands, creating a condition sometimes called adrenal exhaustion. |
Dr. Arthur Janov
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 Thus, the amygdala and the hippocampus can control the release of stress hormones. As the system is flooded with Cortisol, the hippocampus, for example, can send the hypothalamus a message to ease up. In some respects the amygdala is pleading, "release!" while the hippocampus is begging, "hold back!" We want to be just stressed enough to handle emergencies but not so much as to be overwhelmed. We want to be sure that the signal of danger does not become a danger itself. We do not get panicked out of some irrational force. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Phthalide also lowers levels of stress hormones.
The Celery Hangover Cure
Here's a little folk legend for you: In ancient Rome, they used to wear celery around the neck to ward off a hangover after a particularly demanding night of Roman-style partying. It might be that this is where the practice of putting a stick of celery in a Bloody Mary came from, but that could just be urban legend. |
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