The Impact of Stress on Hormone Health
Jessica Grys, Holistic Nutrition Health Coach
As summer comes to an end and we settle back into our busy schedules, many of us are also returning to chronically high levels of stress – we have demanding jobs, busy family and personal lives, and never-ending to-do lists. While taking care of ourselves can feel like the last priority, the truth is that understanding how to manage stress is crucial to feeling better, being more efficient and productive, and supporting overall good hormone health.
Understanding Your Stress Response
Before diving into how to manage your stress, it’s important to first understand your body’s stress response. Meet your adrenal glands – these two walnut sized endocrine glands, located on top of your kidneys, are responsible for producing hormones in response to stressful events and even stressful thoughts. These hormones include cortisol, which is the main anti-stress hormone, and epinephrine (aka adrenaline). Your adrenal glands also produce dopamine, estrogen, testosterone, and hormones called aldosterone and corticosterone, which control the balance of sodium in your body. This collection of hormones has an impact on virtually every function in your body – appetite, blood sugar control, stress management, reproduction, growth, digestion, and several others.
The adrenal gland hormones are produced in response to signalling from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which are both located in your brain. Together, these three endocrine glands form the Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) Axis. The HPA Axis is a communication feedback loop, which is constantly responding to stressful events (real or perceived). When your body perceives stress, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary to release a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which tells your adrenal glands to release cortisol. The cortisol tells your body to mobilize energy (aka glucose) for “fight or flight.” It also shuts down digestion as energy is diverted away from non-essential functions. When the hypothalamus senses that cortisol has been secreted, a negative feedback loops tells the adrenals to shut down the production.
Despite its bad reputation, stress is in fact good for us. It may even be responsible for saving your life, or at least making sure you don’t miss that work deadline. Health psychologist, Kelly McGonigal, author of “The Upside of Stress,” reminds us that “stress can make you smarter, stronger, and more successful. It helps you learn and grow. It can even inspire courage and compassion.” Believe it or not, there are so many benefits of stress!
However, the issue arises when the stress switch is chronically switched on. While there are many benefits of cortisol in the short-term, it has negative implications when the body is constantly demanding more in response to never ending stressors. The result is that many of us are living in a constant state of “fight or flight.” Over time, the communication between the HPA Axis breaks down. Eventually, your body becomes less responsive to cortisol, leading to chronically high levels, or it may only be able to produce low levels.
Signs and symptoms of HPA Axis dysfunction include:
· Cold hands and feet;
· Digestive issues such as bloating and constipation;
· Difficulties sleeping, including waking up in the middle of the night or troubles falling asleep;
· Not feeling rested, or needing caffeine and sugar to start the day or stay awake in the afternoon;
· Feeling “wired but tired,” – you’re exhausted all day but unable to fall asleep at night;
· Light-headedness when standing up;
· Cravings salts and sweets;
· Reduced sex drive;
· Mental fogginess or memory problems.
The Domino Effect on Sex, Thyroid, and Gut Health
Adrenal health is often the first domino to fall when it comes to hormone health issues, and it can have significant impacts on your thyroid and sex hormones, as well as your gut health.
Hypothyroidism is a common condition associated with adrenal dysfunction in which the thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone. Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, depression, constipation, weight gain, dry skin and hair, thinning hair, irregular menstruation or heavy periods, and cold intolerance. If you’re experiencing these symptoms or have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it may be worth considering whether your adrenal health could use some support as well.
When you are experiencing chronic stress, your body has to prioritize the production of cortisol, which often happens at the expense of sex hormones including estrogen and progesterone. All hormones are made from the same “master” hormone, which is called pregnenolone. When the demand for cortisol is high, pregnenolone is diverted toward cortisol production and away from progesterone. This is known as the “pregnenolone steal,” and is a commonly the root cause for low progesterone or estrogen dominance. This can lead to many menstrual health issues such as painful periods (known as dysmenorrhea), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), fibroids, low sex drive, missing periods (known as amenorrhea), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), poor ovulation or lack of ovulation, fertility issues, and heavy cycles. HPA Axis dysfunction impacts testosterone too, which can impact bone health and muscle mass.
High stress also has an impact on your gut health; and vice versa – your gut health may be contributing to mental health issues. High stress actually has the ability to change the microbial composition of your gut, leading to dysbiosis – the imbalance of good and bad gut bacteria. It is well documented that when your body is stressed out, your immune system is weakened. Your defences are down and the result is that the bad bacteria have a chance to become overgrown. This can lead to infections, leaky gut syndrome, and common digestive issues such as bloating and constipation.
More than Meditation
For many of us, we equate stress management with meditating, going to therapy, or doing yoga. These are all excellent practices to incorporate into your daily routine; they have real (and scientifically proven) benefits. However, stress management is a lot more than just meditation.
From a holistic perspective, stress management begins with taking stock of the sources of stress on your body and mind. While this may include stressors like a demanding job or relationship difficulties, which are top of mind, stress also includes food sensitivities, environmental toxins, unstable blood sugar, inadequate sleep, gut dysbiosis or infections, poor detoxification, information overload, nutritional deficiencies, and more. Tackling some of these less obvious stressors will reduce the overall burden on your body. It will improve your ability to handle other stressors, including those that may be out of your control.
A holistic approach to stress management involves understanding the body's stress response, identifying underlying causes, and applying practical strategies to regulate it. Key aspects include using nutrition and daily lifestyle habits to support adrenal health, heal gut issues, balance blood sugar, improve sleep quality, and regulate the nervous system to effectively turn off the cortisol switch. Combining these elements is essential for a comprehensive treatment plan.
To explore this further, book a free discovery call with Jessica Grys, Holistic Nutrition Health Coach at PPHC. Additionally, Jessica is hosting a free webinar on September 23, 2024, focused on the impact of stress on hormone health. The webinar will cover how stress hormones affect menstrual, thyroid, and gut health, along with strategies to support adrenal health and regulate the nervous system for better stress management. Register for the webinar here.