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Cortisol Research Paper

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The Importance of Cortisol and How to Lower It

Most people have heard about cortisol and that it is related to both stress and to weight gain, but not a lot of people understand much about it beyond that. It is actually a hormone that is released naturally by your adrenal glands. This happens naturally when you are under stress. The point of it is to help your body respond to what is going on around you. The trouble occurs when the levels stay high for too long. When people remain in a constant state of stress, they have increased cortisol levels. This, in turn, can cause health problems. Some of the problems that this can cause or exacerbate are weight gain, disrupted sleep, high blood pressure, low energy, and a bad mood.

Normal Cortisol Range …show more content…

It can especially be frustrating if you're trying to lose weight but can't seem to get this hormone under control! It seems like most people struggle with high levels of cortisol. Besides taking medications, there are some ways to lower this hormone naturally and help get your body back into balance. If you are able to do this, you can avoid taking medication and also avoid the many health risks that elevated cortisol levels bring with them.

Getting enough rest is one of the first things you need to try to do. Getting around eight hours of sleep each night will keep this hormone at a healthy level. People who suffer from sleep deprivation often have elevated levels of cortisol. This contributes to health problems that will only be exacerbated by the lack of rest that they're getting. Shift workers are at a high risk for this and can help mitigate the problem by wearing a sleep mask to bed, blacking out the windows of their bedroom, and even using a noise machine to keep out unwanted noises during rest. Avoid caffeine, limit screen time before bed, and try to keep to a schedule to make it easy to fall asleep and stay

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