{"id":118,"date":"2021-08-06T11:47:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-06T11:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.muscleblaze.com\/?p=118"},"modified":"2023-02-27T11:48:27","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T11:48:27","slug":"are-you-addicted-to-stress-all-you-need-to-know-about-cortisol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.muscleblaze.com\/blog\/generalfitness\/are-you-addicted-to-stress-all-you-need-to-know-about-cortisol\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Addicted To Stress? All You Need To Know About Cortisol"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Humans long for a stress-free life and yet unknowingly we dive right into the stress sauna. Hard-wired to crave for stress, it is all in the control of one hormone – Cortisol. Cortisol is one of the steroid hormones that controls our mood, level of motivation and fear. While the hormone has a major role to play, here we will debunk tons of myths<\/a><\/em> and what really helps to curb it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Cortisol?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cortisol is the strongest glucocorticoid i.e., steroid hormone. Now before we lose you to technicality, for easier understanding, Cortisol is a constant and natural stress responder. So where is this tricky hormone located at? Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands, right over the kidney. This placement makes it easy for cortisol to be released in the bloodstream. But Cortisol is only released at the command of the brain, depending on the situation we\u2019re placed in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cortisol<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How does it work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever felt a surge of heart rate when encountered with fear or excitement? For instance, while crossing a busy street you see a car blazing towards you, in such a flight or fight moment, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland send out an alert. This alert alarm is directed towards the adrenal gland and in turn both adrenal and cortisol are released. Now, while adrenal gives you a sense of \u2018rush\u2019, cortisol increases the level of glucose in the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pros \u2013 Cortisol isn\u2019t All That Bad<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cortisol is extremely crucial in the body for many right reasons as well. When cortisol is triggered, it raises glucose levels, this fuels the body with energy and regulates metabolism. Cortisol breaks down protein into glucose when the sugar levels are dropping to avoid hyperglycemia. Since Cortisol is an anti-inflammatory hormone, it helps in the healing process in case of chronic illness. Cortisol also helps maintain homeostasis in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cons \u2013 When Cortisol Wrecks Havoc<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So while Cortisol is good in acute form i.e. brief spurts, issues arise when it becomes chronic i.e. continuous. High levels of Cortisol can wreck havoc in the form of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n