Stressed? Feeling a bit ‘puffy’? Bombarded with posts about cortisol? Read on…
Type the word ‘cortisol’ into the search function of your social media platform of choice and you’ll be served a large dose of posts and videos about the effects of low cortisol, high cortisol, and cortisol and stress in particular. With trending terms like ‘cortisol face’, which refers to facial puffiness, and ‘cortisol belly’, which refers to a buildup of water and fat around the abdomen, it’s easy to be concerned, particularly if you’re already feeling stressed! Many of these posts promise results if you follow a particular cortisol detox/reset routine, or follow their suggestions for ‘cortisol hacks’, but should you worry?
What exactly is cortisol anyway?
Cortisol is a hormone that’s made by the adrenal glands. It plays a wide range of important roles in the body, including its response to stress and regulating the sleep–wake cycle, inflammation, blood pressure, and metabolism. There isn’t currently a way to measure your cortisol level throughout the day like the continuous glucose monitors that people wear to track their blood glucose levels, although cortisol levels can be measured in blood, urine, hair, and saliva samples in a laboratory. It’s worth noting though that the cortisol level in your body varies naturally throughout the day, usually being lower in the evenings before you go to sleep and higher in the mornings before you wake up.
Cortisol levels in the blood usually increase in response to stress, following up on the initial ‘fight-or-flight’ response caused by adrenaline, which is why posts link it to stress. But this is actually good in the short term, because it increases brain function and triggers the release of glucose from the liver to provide energy quickly, and suppresses other body systems so that the body can focus its energy on dealing with the source of stress.
But does cortisol belly exist?
Well… it’s true that, over the long term, high cortisol levels caused by chronic stress can contribute to insulin resistance (which often leads to a buildup of fat around the abdomen), and potentially type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that chronic stress can be linked to an increase in abdominal fat and that cortisol can been associated with craving sugary foods and increased appetite. However, anyone consuming large amounts of sugary foods over the long term would be at risk of becoming insulin-resistant, whether they were chronically stressed or meditating for 10 hours per day.
In addition, the body has a tightly regulated feedback mechanism that shuts down the stress response when cortisol levels increase, and stimulates cortisol production if the level becomes too low. This means that, unless there’s something medically wrong with you, your body is perfectly well equipped to cope if your cortisol levels rise (remember they fluctuate throughout the day anyway) and no hacks or detoxes are needed.
High levels of cortisol (defined as greater than 50–100 micrograms over 24 hours in an adult’s urine samples) are usually due to Cushing’s syndrome (if you think you have this you should seek medical advice). This is caused by the body producing too much cortisol (often due to a tumour) or because a person is taking a glucocorticoid medication, not because of stress. Interestingly, key symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome are facial puffiness, increased abdominal fat, and excessive hair growth on the face and body (especially in females), the same symptoms described in many social media posts as being due to ‘cortisol and stress’. So to answer the earlier question: no, cortisol belly doesn’t really exist. There’s no real evidence that cortisol causes belly fat in the majority of people.
But what if I’m still worried about stress or feeling ‘puffy’?
If you are worried about your stress levels or the amount of fat around your abdomen, simple healthy lifestyle changes can be helpful. These include practicing relaxation techniques such as deep-breathing exercises, improving your sleep habits, being physically active regularly, and eating a healthy, balanced diet that limits sugary foods). Pop things like that in your platform’s search function, look for reputable sources, and you’ll be on your way to feeling better in no time.