ASKDOCTORANCA

With spring here, changing in temperature, schedule and
certain habits, our body has you, yet again, adapt to all
this;  which means it all could be a little stressful for
some of us, as the body perceives stress as any change:  in
the outer environment or inner world.
Over the centuries, our bodies have been adapted to respond
to acute stressors. If there is a situation of immediate,
imminent danger, the appropriate hormones cause a ’fight or
flight’ response to the stressor. This was absolutely
imperative in order for one to escape danger or to defend
him/herself. The physical presentation of a threat is able
to psychologically elicit a physiological response in the
body. Moreover, one is also able to cause this cycle through
a perceived, psychological stressor, without the presence of
a physical entity. The effect created by the mind results in
the same adaptive hormones being released, however, without
the appropriate ‘off’ signal a person can be in a state of
perpetual ‘fight or flight’ for a long period of time. This
constant release of neuroendocrine hormones from the adrenal
glands can play a role in many conditions such as
depression, common colds, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome,
inflammatory bowel disease etc.
Adrenal Glands and Stress
When the adrenal glands are provoked by ACTH, they produce
epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol, which help the
body adapt and survive a presenting stressor. The immediate
reaction to an exogenous or endogenous stressor is to have
the body in a state of ‘fight or flight’. The body’s
response is to release adrenal hormones, which increase
heart rate and blood pres- sure and divert blood to the
vital organs needed (brain, heart, and skeletal muscles) and
diverted from the less essential areas such as the
gastrointestinal tract.
The adrenal glands also produce hydrocortisone,
testosterone, estrogen and dehydroepinandrosterone (DHEA),
pregnenalone, aldosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, as
well as other intermediary hormones. Aldosterone works with
the renal system to help regulate the balance of sodium and
potassium within the body. This is critical for the
maintenance of blood pressure. In situations of chronic
stress exposure, one can exhaust/fatigue the adrenal glands,
leading to a state of ‘adrenal fatigue’. Thus, in the case
of aldosterone, the alteration in the fluid- balance
mechanism may create symptoms of ‘puffy hands and feet’.
The response and eventual adaption to stress involves
glucocorticoids to a large extent. This has a profound
effect on energy metabolism and biological functioning with
the body. For example, it is able to raise blood-sugar
levels, increase muscle-protein breakdown and hepatic
gluconeogenesis, and mobilize fatty acids. Further along the
stress adaption response involves compensation. This is also
known as the adrenal hyperfunction stage, with a secondary
influence on the HPA axis. The pituitary glands respond to
the sympathetic nervous system activity by releasing ACTH,
which cause the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol
and androgen hormones.
The HPA axis responds by eventually becoming less sensitive
to the influence of cortisol’s feedback inhibition. As serum
cortisol levels rise, glucose utilization declines, insulin
resistance increases, gluconeogenesis in the liver
increases, and blood glucose levels increase. The body
responds to increased cortisol by increasing the degradation
of protein stores to supply amino acids for gluconeogenesis,
thus decreasing muscle mass. Adrenal hyperfunction is marked
by insulin resistance, mild obesity, hypertension, and
elevated triglycerides and lipids.
The final stages of stress response involve the decrease in
cortisol output, resulting in adrenal fatigue. The body is
unable to create the necessary cortisol and other
glucocorticoid hormones, resulting in physical changes.
People experiencing adrenal fatigue feel fatigued, may
become depressed, have difficulty concentrating, and may
experience painful headaches, low blood pressure,
sensitivity to carbohydrates, and an inability to tolerate
alcohol. Furthermore, cortisol is an anti-inflammatory
molecule, thus a decline in its production allows for more
inflammatory eicosanoids and cytokines, leading to eventual
tissue damage.
Herbal aids for treatment
Glycyrrhiza glabra is known to have many functions, most
notably for its adrenocorticoid-like activity. Further, it
has anti-inflammatory, antiallergy, antitussive, antiviral,
antiulcer, and estrogen balancing properties. It reduces the
amount of hydrocortisone broken down by the liver, which
then decreases the workload of the adrenal glands.
Withania somnifera, is noted alongside Glycyrrhiza for its
ability to support adrenal function. They have both been
used traditionally for convalescence, nervous exhaustion,
fatigue, geriatric debility, physical and mental stress, and
insomnia. Withania combined with Eleuthrococcus senticosus
may influence the adrenal hormone activity by helping to
support normal HPA axis function.
Further, Dioscorea opposite, Rhemannia glutinosa, and
Cordyceps sinensis are used commonly in Traditional Chinese
Medicine as herbs that ‘tonify’. These herbs contain
constituents, such as steroidal saponins, that may act as
precursors to adrenal hormones.
In modern society, situations of chronic stress outweigh
acute stressors that were once apparent in early
civilization. As a result, individuals are depleting their
stores of compensatory hormones, ultimately developing into
states of ‘adrenal fatigue’. It is in this state that
individuals place them- selves at higher risks of other
conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, depression, etc.
To aid individuals in these circumstances, it is imperative
that one considers their lifestyle. An appropriate analysis
of their life circumstances should reveal areas that are
contributing to the condition. Thus, stress management and
added adrenal support are able to assist individuals through
the occurrences, as maladaptive stress responses will
ultimately lead to one’s demise.
These issues, and more, are things we talk about in my new
Tele-Course “STOP surviving and START thriving”;  you too
can learn all this by either sampling ONE Class or joining
uour MasterMind groups here.