What is Cortisol & What Causes High Levels of This Stress Hormone
Image by Lumina / Stocksy
Stress isn't just annoying. It can also wreak havoc on your body.
For that, we can thank cortisol. The steroid hormone, which is released when you're tense or anxious, can leave you feeling lousy and put you at risk for getting seriously sick. Here's what you should know about it—and the simple things you can do to keep your cortisol levels from getting out of control.
What is cortisol?
Basically, it's a steroid hormone produced by your adrenal glands that's released into your bloodstream during times of stress.
We often tend to think of cortisol as a bad thing, but it's actually meant to be helpful. When our cave-people ancestors were faced with a stressful or threatening situation—say, being chased by a wolf—the release of cortisol activated the fight-or-flight response, explains physician and yoga instructor Monisha Bhanote, M.D., FASCP, FCAP. As a result, they could act quickly to protect themselves. (Or at least try.)