Effects of Cortisol on Physical and Psychological Aspects of the Body and Effective Ways by Which One Can Reduce Stress

Abstract

EFFECTS OF CORTISOL ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE BODY AND EFFECTIVE WAYS BY WHICH ONE CAN REDUCE STRESS Preethi Kandhalu B S J O ver the past years, reports of increased stress levels in millennials have been on the rise; Stress in America, a study, from the American Psychological Association found “half of all millennials are so stressed out that they can’t sleep at night, and 39 percent of millennials have stress levels that have increased in the past year” (Yandoli, 2013) and “On a 10-point scale, Americans ages 18-33 reported an average stress level of 5.4 compared to the national average of 4.9” (Kingkade, 2013). Consequently, there are a plethora of suggestions regarding ways to reduce stress – common tips include keeping a positive attitude, exercising and eating healthy (WebMD). A popular website also indicates that eating berries help combat stress since “Blueberries are naturally rich in vitamin C, which helps fight increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone” 1 (Oz, 2010). Unfortunately, for most people, it is difficult to evaluate whether such tips are effective stress reducers. The aim of this article is to explain why stress exists. The cortisol hormone, i.e. “stress hormone” that’s secreted by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) affects our body in both physical and mental ways that can be detrimental to our overall health. Some of the effects of stress can be due to our genes, while some effects can be due to external environmental factors. However, there do exist effective ways by which one can reduce cortisol levels. I n order to understand why we feel stressed, it is important to understand the mechanism of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, an axis (“Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis”). In the first step of the process, the hypothalamus contains neuroendocrine neurons that synthesize proteins, which act as hormones when released. While some hormones target distant tissues, some hormones – including vasopressin and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) – are released in the blood circulation of the axis for delivery to the pituitary gland. The CRH is received by the anterior pituitary gland, which in turn secretes Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) within the blood circulation of the axis. ACTH further Fig 1. HPA Mechanism acts on the two of the three zones of the adrenal gland – zona fasciculate and the zona reticularis – this action leads to the secretion of glucocorticoids (which mainly consists of cortisol in humans) among other hormones (Mitrovic). Also, 90% of the cortisol is eventually “S ome ailments caused by increased levels in cortisol include a suppressed immune system , insomnia , severe mood swings , depression and severe hypotension ” along our brain that secretes cortisol. The hormones produced by the hypothalamus results in a cascade of events down the HPA axis which ultimately leads to the secretion of cortisol from the adrenal gland bound by proteins, whereas 10% of the free cortisol is unbound, and therefore biologically active – this free cortisol creates a negative feedback loop whereby it binds to hypothalamus and the pituitary gland to inhibit secretion of CRH and ACTH (Mitrovic). Scientific experiments done to determine correlation between Vitamin E and C levels, and cortisol levels actually suggest that cortisol production did not change with different concentrations of Vitamin E and C. In other words, blueberries do not fight increased levels of cortisol. (Montalvo, Diaz, Galdames, Andres & Larrain, 2011) 14 • B erkeley S cientific J ournal • S tress • F all 2013 V olume 18 • I ssue 1