Forty seven percent of all Americans according to the American Psychological Association are stressed out. The Adrenal glands play a major role in this as they release hormones in response to stress in our lives. One of the main stress hormones excreted by the stress glands is cortisol. Cortisol is essential to humans but very detrimental to your health. Cortisol regulates glucose, blood pressure, and inflammation in the body. To much Cortisol from to much stress for to long and a person finds themselves with a multitude of problems like; regulating blood sugar which in turn can lead to diabetes, weight problems, heart problems and again, diabetes. To much Cortisol over an extended period of time lowers a persons immunity and can also cause digestive problems, infertility, thyroid suppression, and depression.
The Adrenal glands can be helped through Chiropractic. If there is pressure on the nerve root going to the adrenal glands it will not function optimally. Chiropractors can remove this pressure. Supplements high in vitamins, especially B vitamin, and containing adrenal cortex can help the glands deal with the stress response better. Certain foods naturally reduce Cortisol levels in the body, they include but are not limited to fish high in omega 3 fatty acids like Salmon, Mackerel, and Halibut. Additional foods recommended to decrease Cortisol are citrus fruits like grapefruit, orange, lemon and lime. Dark chocolate has also been shown to decrease cortisol levels in the body.
Eliminating the stress or source if possible would be ideal, but in these hectic times this is not always practical. Natural methods of physically dealing with stress make more sense than simply masking the problem with dangerous drugs.
For more information contact our office in west side Charlotte North Carolina.
Yours in health,
Dr. Ryan C. Giel
