Thread by @Outdoctrination

HIGH CORTISOL: Here are 5 ways to lower it (backed by research):

#1 GABA

GABA completely stops cortisol.

25-50 mg orally halts it in response to physiological stress, improving:

⊙ Fatigue
⊙ Concentration
⊙ Physical discomfort

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GABA can suppress cortisol by its action in the brain.

The hypothalamus produces CRH ➞ pituitary to produce ACTH ➞ adrenals to produce cortisol.

GABA input to the hypothalamus calms these neurons, preventing CRH release and cortisol production.

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#2 Grounding

6 weeks of grounding completely normalized the cortisol pattern throughout the day.

& improved sleep.

The difference is dramatic in my experience (+ with clients).

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With contact to the earth, the brain puts out less CRF,

a protein that starts the cascade that produces cortisol - making us stressed, jittery, restless and anxious.

Probably a big reason why we see grounding be so beneficial.

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#3 Sugar

Experiments show that animals without adrenal glands produce less CRH (or CRF, same thing) when they consume sugar.

The more sugar they consume, the less CRF they produce.

Eating sugar can acutely lower cortisol (vs aspartame).

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Several neurons in the hypothalamus are considered to be glucose sensitive.

When blood sugar drops, they produce CRH to raise blood sugar.

But just eating sugar can quickly satisfy these neurons and stop the CRH production.

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#4 DHEA

DHEA nearly cuts cortisol in half.

DHEA directly inhibits the production of cortisol in the adrenals and opposes all of the functions of cortisol:

☆ Relaxes mood
☆ Reduces belly fat
☆ Preserves brain function
☆ Puts on muscle
☆ Improves skin quality
☆ Improves immunity
☆ Reduces disease risk
☆ Improves mitochondrial function

25 mg per day here - we prefer to start at much lower amounts (<5 mg).

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DHEA in a few ways to lower cortisol.

1. Suppresses cortisol-mediated gene expression
2. Inhibits 11βHSD1
3. Lowers the ratio of cortisol receptors (GRα to GRβ) - which suppresses cortisol receptor activation.

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#5 Vitamin D

Vitamin D lowers cortisol by 40%.

Just 2,000 IU / day here, a few minutes outside during peak sun hours.

It also lowered blood pressure substantially (by 9/7 mmHg).

Likely by:

◈ Inhibiting 11BHSD1
◈ Lowering inflammation
◈ Controlling calcium balance in the brain
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