DHEA for stress becomes a key factor when we realize the health impacts of stress. We know “stress” is bad for health. When we’re young, challenges in life seem easy to deal with. But day after day, year after year, the stressed life just keeps throwing more challenges at us.
When we’re young, challenges in life seem easy to deal with. But day after day, year after year, life just keeps throwing more challenges at us. What’s going on in our bodies when we live a high-stress life? What’s going on in the body that allows chronic stress to have harmful effects on health? What causes this?
What can we do about Stress?
Work, appointments, bills to pay, the new bad news at 5:00, and conflicts with family or friends can cause stress in our lives. Every day it seems like it’s something else…some new situation to add more stress. A lot is going on within our bodies as we live life and deal with life stressors every day. Most people think of the word “stress” as an emotional mental strain or anxiety. Physical stress from injury or tissue inflammation from daily exercise breaks down existing tissues to rebuild back stronger. This is also “stress” and has similar hormonal effects as mental stress. No matter which of these types of stress are present, the body’s hormone response is the same: initially both cortisol and DHEA increase, and with prolonged stress, the DHEA plummets.
It is well established that chronic, long term stress can cause many health problems and increase the risks for many diseases of aging.
In this article we explain what is going on inside the body when we deal with stress; and offer some ways we can do some things to live healthier and happier lives understanding that stressors in our lives will not go away.
Lots of things can cause stress in our lives. Every day there are new situations to add more stress. There is a lot going on within our bodies living life and dealing with life stressors every day.
The Science of Stress
DHEA and cortisol are the body’s main stress hormones. They work together and counterbalance each other.
DHEA is an abbreviation for dehydroepiandrosterone. DHEA is a hormone made primarily by the adrenal or stress glands, and is also metabolized in the gonads and the dermis, the skin. Hormones are messenger protein molecules that drive the function of cells and tissues all over the body. DHEA has a protective effect on nerve cells, neurons, cognitive function, memory, and mood. It also serves as a precursor or base for more than 50 other smaller carbon chain molecules, hormones. DHEA is a prohormone for all the androgenic and estrogenic hormones. It is the most abundant prohormone in the human body.
Whereas DHEA has an anabolic building influence, cortisol has a catabolic or tearing down effect in the body. Cortisol is the inflammatory response hormone. But too much inflammation over long periods of time can become a bad thing. Both of these effects are essential for good health, and both these two hormones, DHEA and cortisol, must be in proper balance for optimal health. “Adrenal fatigue or “adrenal exhaustion” is when there is too much cortisol and too little DHEA. Dr. John Woodward recommends a 10:1 ratio of DHEA to cortisol for optimal health and to feel well. How do these hormones become imbalanced? It is the unfortunate result of age and too much chronic stress causing high levels of cortisol, and not enough DHEA to counterbalance it. Too much cortisol relative to too little DHEA. This crossroads usually occurs for both males and females between ages 40-65.
Hormone Balance
Unfortunately, we all gradually make less and less DHEA after age 25. Meanwhile, cortisol levels gradually and steadily increase as we get older. This is true for everyone. Hormone imbalance is made worse by prolonged chronic stress in our lives. The normal reaction of the body to stress is to produce greater quantities of both cortisol and DHEA. Then, usually when the stress is gone, the body reduces its output of cortisol and DHEA to resting levels and everything returns to normal. This is what happens with short episodes of stress. No big deal. Back to normal hormone balance.
However, when the stress is prolonged, the body makes increasing amounts of cortisol and less and less DHEA. How long does this take to occur? One study showed that after just 28 days of continuous stress, cortisol levels had increased to 240 percent of starting values. While DHEA had dropped to 15 percent of initial levels. Unfortunately, even after the stress is removed, the body sometimes does not recover well to bring DHEA and cortisol levels back to normal, but instead, the levels stay in the stress response mode with high cortisol and low DHEA.
The consequences of elevated cortisol and reduced DHEA levels can be very detrimental: Immune system response may be compromised allowing for an increased risk to infections, cancer, or autoimmune diseases. The imbalance of too much cortisol and not enough DHEA can disrupt healthy glucose metabolism and insulin function resulting in higher blood sugar levels. The body stores away more fat, especially around the midsection, rather than burning the excess glucose. Salt and water are retained, producing a feeling of being bloated along with a greater risk of developing high blood pressure. Blood cholesterol and triglycerides increase adding to the risks of developing heart disease. Lack of energy, depression, insomnia, hunger, and PMS are also common results. Reproductive function and sexual interest can diminish along with infertility and cessation of the menstrual cycle. The body becomes more susceptible to toxins. Memory and cognitive function, visuospatial activities and learning can begin to decline.
Often people with too much cortisol and not enough DHEA start to not sleep well at night and may not get enough R.E.M. (rapid eye movement) sleep. Lowered hormone release at night due to insufficient REM sleep and the dawn phenomenon effect may begin to diminish mental and physical health, which results in acceleration of the aging process. Protein synthesis slows down and protein breakdown is increased leading to deterioration of strong bones, joints, connective tissue; arthritis may , muscle loss, thinning of the skin, and general weakness or lack of energy.
Interesting medical research done with brain imaging provides evidence that DHEA has antidepressant and anxiolytic effects showing that DHEA has a positive impact as a neurosteroid that helps modulate emotional processing, improving mood and memory.
These are some of the most common effects of high cortisol and low DHEA. What actually happens in each of us depends on genetic predisposition as well as lifestyle and environmental factors.
Medical research (Dr Lennartsson, et al) shows that people with high levels of stress at work have significantly lower DHEA levels. The study concluded that “…a reduced level of DHEA is the reason people under greater stress have more health problems and accelerated aging. So, High Stress = High cortisol combined with Lower DHEA = More health problems.
This link between high stress and poor health makes sense. When we are under stress the body produces cortisol, intended to protect the body, via the “fight or flight” protective mode. This is an inflammatory response. Triggered by stress, cortisol is a hormone produced by the body to create a protective, inflammatory response.
Unfortunately, when maintained day after day, the protective effects of elevated cortisol begin to have negative effects over time. So if stress becomes a recurring chronic thing, “sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone; slow down healing and normal cell regeneration; co-opt biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones; impair digestion, metabolism and mental function; interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken the immune system.” (2) Elevated cortisol levels also make it easier to gain weight and frequently cause poor quality sleep at night.
The bad news is that too much stress and a resulting high cortisol and low DHEA is very common, most everyone over age 45 these days. Usually, people don’t realize this gradual decline is happening, and don’t start trying to slow down the decline in DHEA nor slow the increase in cortisol.
Unfortunately, until the body undergoes a lot of breakdown, there may be few symptoms. People don’t know to do anything about it. The good news is that we can all do things that help. DHEA supplementation is just one part of the solution. Obviously, first and foremost, it is always a good idea to try to minimize the stressors in our lives, though physical exercise should remain.
Ways to beat stress
Reduce cortisol
Increase DHEA
Here are some ways to reduce the unwanted or unnecessary stressors, minimize cortisol and improve DHEA.
Find Happiness in the Little Things – Laugh
Don’t let the stress take over. Turn stress off. Happy thoughts release endorphins with “blissful moments that can also give your well-being a boost.” Find joy in the little things. Here is a great article about ways to do this. Sometimes it’s the little things like laughter and play that make a big difference in our overall sense of well being..
Exercise. Stay active
Aerobic exercise, be it biking, hiking, jogging, walking, swimming, or whatever you choose to raise the heart rate at or above 100 beats per minute for at least 20 minutes or more every day helps to gradually improve DHEA levels and reduce cortisol levels.
Breathe In, Stress Out
Meditation is an intentional clearing of the mind. Breath deeply, clear your thoughts to release tension and worry. When too much energy is being exerted on the body’s response to stress, stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath. Relax. Picture that each deep breath is cleansing; so when you breath out you are pushing out the tension that was worrying you. In fact, take several of these mind breaks per day. Focus on taking deep breaths. This meditative deep breathing does actually help take your mind off the stressors and slow the release of stress hormones. Try some of these breathing exercises offered by Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D.
Stretch-Away Stressors
Studies have also shown that practicing yoga or meditation, or stretching can have great antidepressant effects. Not only excellent for practicing breath control, yoga also helps focus the mind on various muscle groups, improves blood flow and oxygenates cells throughout the body. Stretching also clears toxins from muscle tissue. So if you’re feeling stressed, just take a stretching session to reduce your excess cortisol.
Find Balance with DHEA for Stress
The body’s most abundant naturally occurring pro-hormone, DHEA, is crucial to counterbalance cortisol levels. Unfortunately, as explained earlier, DHEA levels gradually decreases after age 25, while cortisol levels steadily increase as we age. When the DHEA to cortisol ratio is 10:1, a healthier balance is found. DHEA is the only thing that counterbalances the negative effects of cortisol. Twist 25 DHEA supplement cream is a great stress management solution. Maintain better DHEA levels to counterbalance cortisol to feel better and help reduce the negative effects high cortisol can have.
As humans age, the body produces ever increasing amounts of cortisol. However, after age 25 we make less and less DHEA. DHEA is the only thing in the body that counterbalances the negative effects of cortisol. So, for men and women alike there is an important cross-roads in the aging process, usually between age 35-45, when we begin to make too much cortisol and not enough DHEA. As described previously in this article, this is a condition known as adrenal fatigue. Health2Go always encourages you to consult with a medical professional to be sure you are maintaining proper health. According to John R. Woodward, M.D., “When the DHEA to cortisol ratio is less than 10 to 1, the diseases of aging are occurring.”
So do something to maintain your health and happiness and beat the stress. Get some physical exercise every day, and apply Twist 25 DHEA cream onto thin hairless skin morning and evening each day. Maintain a healthy balance of the stress hormones to stave off the effects of stress and high cortisol. Twist 25 DHEA cream provides what the body makes, where the body can use it. Twist 25 DHEA cream has no dangerous side effects. Counterbalance the harmful effects of stress and too much cortisol. Use Twist 25 DHEA cream. Make your own hormones.
References:
Lennartsson AK, Theorell T, Rockwood A, et al. “Perceived Stress at Work is Associated with Lower Levels of DHEA”. PLOS. Aug 28 2013. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0072460
Marcelle Pick. “The Destructive Effect Of High Cortisol Levels” Women to Women https://www.womentowomen.com/hormonal-health/the-destructive-effect-of-high-cortisol-levels/
Rebecca K Sripada, Christine E Marx, Anthony P King, Nirmala Rajaram, Sarah N Garfinkel, James L Abelson, Israel Liberzon. “DHEA enhances emotion regulation neurocircuits and modulates memory for emotional stimuli”. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Aug;38(9):1798-807. doi: 10.1038/npp.2013.79. Epub 2013 Apr 3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23552182/
Breathing exercises recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/stress-anxiety/breathing-three-exercises/
When we’re young, challenges in life seem easy to deal with. But day after day, year after year, the stressed life just keeps throwing more challenges at us.
What’s going on in our body when we live a high-stress life? What’s going on in our body that allows stress to have a harmful effect on our health? What causes this?
What can we do about Stress?
Work, appointments, bills to pay, the new bad news at 5:00, conflicts with family or friends can cause stress in our lives. Every day it seems like it’s something else…some new situation to add more stress. There is a lot going on within our bodies as we live life and deal with life stressors every day. Most people think of the word “stress” as an emotional mental strain or anxiety.
Physical stress from injury or tissue inflammation from daily exercise breaks down existing tissues to rebuild back stronger. This is also “stress” and has similar hormonal effects as mental stress. No matter which of these types of stress are present, the body’s hormone response is the same: initially both cortisol and DHEA increase, and with prolonged stress, the DHEA plummets.
It is well established that chronic long term stress can cause many health problems and increase the risks for many diseases of aging.
In this article we explain what is going on inside the body when we deal with stress; and offer some ways we can do some things to live healthier and happier lives understanding that stressors in our lives will not go away.
Lots of things can cause stress in our lives. Every day there are new situations to add more stress. There is a lot going on within our bodies living life and dealing with life stressors every day.
The Science of Stress and DHEA
DHEA and cortisol are the body’s main stress hormones. They work together and counterbalance each other.
DHEA is an abbreviation for dehydroepiandrosterone. DHEA is a hormone made primarily by the adrenal or stress glands, and is also metabolized in the gonads and the dermis, the skin. Hormones are messenger protein molecules that drive the function of cells and tissues all over the body. DHEA has a protective effect on nerve cells, neurons, cognitive function, memory, and mood.
DHEA also serves as a precursor or base for more than 50 other smaller carbon chain molecules, hormones. It is a prohormone for all the androgenic and estrogenic hormones. It is the most abundant prohormone in the human body.
Whereas DHEA has an anabolic building influence, cortisol has a catabolic or tearing down effect in the body. Cortisol is the inflammatory response hormone. But too much inflammation over long periods of time can become a bad thing.
Both of these effects are essential for good health, and both these two hormones, DHEA and cortisol, must be in proper balance for optimal health. “Adrenal fatigue or “adrenal exhaustion” is when there is too much cortisol and too little DHEA. Dr. John Woodward recommends a 10:1 ratio of DHEA to cortisol for optimal health and to feel well.
How do these hormones become imbalanced? It is the unfortunate result of age and too much chronic stress causing high levels of cortisol, and not enough DHEA to counterbalance it. Too much cortisol relative to too little DHEA. This crossroads usually occurs for both males and females between ages 40-65.
Hormone Balance
Unfortunately, we all gradually make less and less DHEA after age 25. Meanwhile, cortisol levels gradually and steadily increase as we get older. This is true for everyone.
Hormone imbalance is made worse by prolonged chronic stress in our lives. The normal reaction of the body to stress is to produce greater quantities of both cortisol and DHEA.
Then, usually when the stress is gone, the body reduces its output of cortisol and DHEA to resting levels and everything returns to normal. This is what happens with short episodes of stress. No big deal. Back to normal hormone balance.
However, when the stress is prolonged, the body makes increasing amounts of cortisol and less and less DHEA. How long does this take to occur? One study showed that after just 28 days of continuous stress, cortisol levels had increased to 240 percent of starting values.
While DHEA had dropped to 15 percent of initial levels. Unfortunately, even after the stress is removed, the body sometimes does not recover well to bring DHEA and cortisol levels back to normal, but instead, the levels stay in the stress response mode with high cortisol and low DHEA.
The consequences of elevated cortisol and reduced DHEA levels can be very detrimental: Immune system response may be compromised, allowing for an increased risk to infections, cancer, or autoimmune diseases. The imbalance of too much cortisol and not enough DHEA can disrupt healthy glucose metabolism and insulin function resulting in higher blood sugar levels. The body stores away more fat, especially around the midsection, rather than burning the excess glucose.
Salt and water are retained, producing a feeling of being bloated along with a greater risk of developing high blood pressure. Blood cholesterol and triglycerides increase, adding to the risks of developing heart disease.
Lack of energy, depression, insomnia, hunger, and PMS are also common results. Reproductive function and sexual interest can diminish along with infertility and cessation of the menstrual cycle. The body becomes more susceptible to toxins. Memory and cognitive function, visuospatial activities and learning can begin to decline.
Often people with too much cortisol and not enough DHEA start to not sleep well at night and may not get enough R.E.M. (rapid eye movement) sleep. Lowered hormone release at night due to insufficient REM sleep and the dawn phenomenon effect may begin to diminish mental and physical health, which results in acceleration of the aging process.
Protein synthesis slows down and protein breakdown is increased, leading to deterioration of strong bones, joints, connective tissue; arthritis may , muscle loss, thinning of the skin, and general weakness or lack of energy.
Interesting medical research done with brain imaging provides evidence that DHEA has antidepressant and anxiolytic effects showing that DHEA has a positive impact as a neurosteroid that helps modulate emotional processing, improving mood and memory.
These are some of the most common effects of high cortisol and low DHEA. What actually happens in each of us depends on genetic predisposition as well as lifestyle and environmental factors.
Medical research (Dr Lennartsson, et al) shows that people with high levels of stress at work have significantly lower DHEA levels. The study concluded that “…a reduced level of DHEA is the reason people under greater stress have more health problems and accelerated aging. So, High Stress = High cortisol combined with Lower DHEA = More health problems.
This link between high stress and poor health makes sense. When we are under stress the body produces cortisol, intended to protect the body, via the “fight or flight” protective mode. This is an inflammatory response. Triggered by stress, cortisol is a hormone produced by the body to create a protective, inflammatory response.
Unfortunately, when maintained day after day, the protective effects of elevated cortisol begin to have negative effects over time. So if stress becomes a recurring chronic thing, “sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone; slow down healing and normal cell regeneration; co-opt biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones; impair digestion, metabolism and mental function; interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken the immune system.” (2) Elevated cortisol levels also make it easier to gain weight and frequently cause poor quality sleep at night.
The bad news is that too much stress and a resulting high cortisol and low DHEA is very common, most everyone over age 45 these days. Usually, people don’t realize this gradual decline is happening, and don’t start trying to slow down the decline in DHEA nor slow the increase in cortisol.
Unfortunately, until the body undergoes a lot of breakdown, there may be few symptoms. People don’t know to do anything about it. The good news is that we can all do things that help.
DHEA supplementation is just one part of the solution. Obviously, first and foremost, it is always a good idea to try to minimize the stressors in our lives, though physical exercise should remain.
Ways to beat stress
Reduce cortisol
Increase DHEA
Here are some ways to reduce unwanted or unnecessary stressors, minimize cortisol, and improve DHEA.
Find Happiness in the Little Things – Laugh
Don’t let the stress take over. Turn stress off. Happy thoughts release endorphins with “blissful moments that can also give your well-being a boost.” Find joy in the little things.
Here is a great article about ways to do this. Sometimes it’s the little things, like laughter and play, that make a big difference in our overall sense of well-being.
Exercise. Stay active
Aerobic exercise, be it biking, hiking, jogging, walking, swimming, or whatever you choose to raise the heart rate at or above 100 beats per minute for at least 20 minutes or more every day helps to gradually improve DHEA levels and reduce cortisol levels.
Breathe In, Stress Out
Meditation is an intentional clearing of the mind. Breathe deeply, clear your thoughts to release tension and worry. When too much energy is being exerted on the body’s response to stress, stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath. Relax.
In fact, take several of these mind breaks per day. Focus on taking deep breaths. This does actually help take your mind off the stressors and slow the release of stress hormones. Try some of these breathing exercises offered by Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D.
Stretch-Away Stressors
Studies have shown that practicing yoga or meditation, or stretching can have great antidepressant effects. Not only excellent for practicing breath control, yoga also helps focus the mind on various muscle groups, improves blood flow and oxygenates cells throughout the body. Stretching also clears toxins from muscle tissue. So if you’re feeling stressed, just take a stretching session to reduce your excess cortisol.
Find Balance with DHEA for Stress
The body’s most abundant naturally occurring pro-hormone, DHEA, is crucial to counterbalance cortisol levels. Unfortunately, as explained earlier, DHEA levels gradually decrease after age 25, while cortisol levels steadily increase as we age. When the DHEA to cortisol ratio is 10:1, a healthier balance is found.
DHEA is the only thing that counterbalances the negative effects of cortisol. Twist 25 DHEA supplement cream is a great stress management solution. Maintain better DHEA levels to counterbalance cortisol, feel better, and help reduce the negative effects high cortisol can have.
As humans age, the body produces ever increasing amounts of cortisol. However, after age 25 we make less and less DHEA. DHEA is the only thing in the body that counterbalances the negative effects of cortisol. So, for men and women alike there is an important crossroads in the aging process, usually between age 35-45, when we begin to make too much cortisol and not enough DHEA.
As described previously in this article, this is a condition known as adrenal fatigue. Health2Go always encourages you to consult with a medical professional to be sure you are maintaining proper health. According to John R. Woodward, M.D., “When the DHEA to cortisol ratio is less than 10 to 1, the diseases of aging are occurring.”
So do something to maintain your health and happiness and beat the stress. Get some physical exercise every day, and apply Twist 25 DHEA cream onto thin hairless skin morning and evening each day. Maintain a healthy balance of the stress hormones to stave off the effects of stress and high cortisol. Twist 25 DHEA cream provides what the body makes, where the body can use it.
Twist 25 DHEA cream has no dangerous side effects. Counterbalance the harmful effects of stress and too much cortisol. Use Twist 25 DHEA cream. Make your own hormones.
References:
Lennartsson AK, Theorell T, Rockwood A, et al. “Perceived Stress at Work is Associated with Lower Levels of DHEA”. PLOS. Aug 28 2013. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0072460
Marcelle Pick. “The Destructive Effect Of High Cortisol Levels” Women to Women https://www.womentowomen.com/hormonal-health/the-destructive-effect-of-high-cortisol-levels/
Rebecca K Sripada, Christine E Marx, Anthony P King, Nirmala Rajaram, Sarah N Garfinkel, James L Abelson, Israel Liberzon. “DHEA enhances emotion regulation neurocircuits and modulates memory for emotional stimuli”. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Aug;38(9):1798-807. doi: 10.1038/npp.2013.79. Epub 2013 Apr 3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23552182/
Breathing exercises recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/stress-anxiety/breathing-three-exercises/
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