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Cortisol has a bad reputation. Social media often talks about how „high cortisol“ is responsible for fatigue, weight gain, poor sleep, and accelerated aging. But the reality is much more complicated.
Cortisol is not the enemy. Without it, we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning, handle stressful situations, or perform our daily tasks. The problem arises when short-term stress becomes a long-term survival mode.
And it is precisely chronically elevated cortisol or a disrupted daily rhythm of this hormone that is today Scientists associate it with faster biological aging, poorer metabolism, inflammation, and a higher risk of civilization diseases.
Cortisol and longevity are closely linked, but the goal is not to remove cortisol from the body. The goal is to restore the body's natural rhythm and its ability to regenerate.
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is controlled by the so-called HPA axis – the connection between the brain, pituitary gland and adrenal glands. Its job is to help the body cope with stress.
In the right setting, cortisol works very smartly:
Healthy cortisol also has a clear circadian rhythm. It is highest in the morning after waking up and gradually decreases throughout the day. It should be low in the evening so that the body can regenerate and get quality sleep.
But modern life disrupts this rhythm. Chronic stress, lack of sleep, constant stimulation, a high work pace or long-term psychological tension can cause the body remains in standby mode for too long.
Common signs of an overactive HPA axis include:
If the problems are long-term or significant, it is always advisable to discuss the situation with a doctor.
Because of the fast pace, we don't even have time to realize that we are overloaded. Moreover, in today's world, feeling overloaded is often considered "normal". So we don't pay attention to the signals that our body sends us, often long before a health problem occurs.
Scientific studies today show that the problem is not a one-time increase in cortisol, but a long-term disrupted rhythm.
People with chronically elevated cortisol or a „flattened“ cortisol curve are at higher risk of:
Large Whitehall II population study for example, it has shown that a disrupted circadian rhythm of cortisol is associated with higher overall mortality as well as a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. (https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2010-2137)
From the perspective of healthy aging (longevity), one thing is crucial: The body cannot function in "fight or flight" mode for long periods of time without consequences.
In the short term, cortisol has an anti-inflammatory effect. However, with long-term stress, tissues can gradually lose sensitivity to its effects.
The result is a paradoxical situation: the body has enough cortisol, but at the same time it is growing in the body. low-grade chronic inflammation. This condition is now considered one of the main mechanisms of premature aging of the body.
Not only that, chronic inflammation is often linked to:
Scientists refer to this process as inflammaging – i.e. „inflammatory aging“.
Many people notice that during times of stress, they gain weight mainly in the abdominal area. Why is this?
Cortisol increases the availability of energy for survival. This is helpful in the short term. In the long term, this can mean:
Studies tracking cortisol levels in hair Additionally, they show a link between chronically higher cortisol and higher BMI or waist circumference.(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28229550/)
From a longevity perspective, visceral fat is not only an aesthetic problem, but in particular, it promotes other inflammatory processes in the body. And this has a fundamental impact on our health in older age.
Social media often gives the impression that the ideal is to reduce cortisol as much as possible. But this is a mistake, or perhaps just a marketing ploy. Too low cortisol can be just as dangerous as its chronic excess.
People with a condition where the body does not produce enough cortisol are at significantly higher risk of health complications and mortality. And at the beginning of the article, we listed several activities for which we need healthy cortisol levels. Cortisol is therefore not a „good“ or „bad“ hormone, and The key is not to suppress the hormone, but to restore its natural rhythm.
Sleep is one of the most powerful tools for regenerating the HPA axis.
Lack of sleep increases cortisol, worsens insulin sensitivity, and promotes inflammation.
The basic rules for quality sleep are:
Evening cortisol is often a problem for overworked people. If the body is constantly on alert, regeneration simply does not occur efficiently.
Regular exercise helps the body better cope with stress.
However, it is important to distinguish between healthy movement and chronic overexertion.
Extremely intense training can increase cortisol levels. On the contrary, long-term sustainable exercise helps restore the body's healthy rhythm.
For most people, a combination of:
Exercise that promotes healthy aging doesn't have to be about maximum performance. Rather, the focus should be on long-term sustainability.
Some of the best results in regulating cortisol are achieved with mindfulness techniques, meditation, and breathing exercises.
Meta-analyses show that regular stress management can help improve cortisol regulation and subjective stress perception. (https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/205257/1/1-s2.0-S0306453023003931-main.pdf)
There is no need to meditate for several hours a day. On the contrary, simple habits that we repeat several times during the day work best:
More important than intensity is regularity.
We cannot eliminate all stress from our lives. And it would not affect longevity either. The body needs stress and cannot live without it, but at the same time it is necessary to be able to regulate it and prevent chronic stress. The ability to regenerate, adapt and return to balance is one of the most important signs of healthy aging.
Therefore, the biggest impact on cortisol and longevity still lies in basic things like sleep, regular exercise and a long-term sustainable lifestyle. The real basis of longevity, or longevity in good health, is formed every day in normal habits.
We have prepared an orientation test for you that will tell you how high the stress level is in your body.
