Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands that plays a vital role in the body's response to stress and in maintaining various essential bodily functions. Its key actions include:
- Regulating metabolism: Cortisol helps control how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It promotes gluconeogenesis (making glucose from non-carbohydrate sources) in the liver, increases blood sugar levels by reducing glucose uptake in muscles and fat, and facilitates the breakdown of fats and proteins to provide energy
- Managing stress response: Cortisol is released during stress as part of the "fight or flight" response, helping the body stay alert by increasing energy availability and maintaining blood pressure and heart rate
- Regulating immune function and inflammation: It has anti-inflammatory effects and modulates immune responses, limiting inflammation in the short term. However, chronically high cortisol can weaken the immune system and promote inflammation
- Controlling blood pressure: Cortisol helps maintain stable blood pressure, although the exact mechanisms are complex. Abnormal cortisol levels can lead to high or low blood pressure
- Influencing the sleep-wake cycle: Cortisol levels follow a daily rhythm, peaking in the morning to help wake the body and decreasing at night to facilitate sleep
In summary, cortisol is essential for energy regulation, stress adaptation, immune modulation, blood pressure maintenance, and circadian rhythm regulation. Imbalances in cortisol levels can lead to health issues such as Cushing syndrome (too much cortisol) or Addison’s disease (too little cortisol)
