BOK_FINISH_9a.indd



The stress response requires an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) secreted by the hypothalamus is the
most proximal element of the HPA axis, and it acts as a central coordinator for
neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to stress. CRH is made not only in the
hypothalamus but also in peripheral tissues, such as T lymphocytes. The stress
hormone crH produces kindling and makes it more likely that other external
stimuli will create a kindling reaction. The more cortisol that is released in the
early stages of an awakening during shock or stressful maladjustment, the more
likely depression will occur later on during the exhaustion phase.
Cortisol acts like a thermostat clamping down on its own production. It
slows the production of the two hormones that touch off the hypothalamic-
pituitary-adrenal axis: corticotropin-releasing factor in the hypothalamus and
adrenocorticotropic hormone in the pituitary. Cortisol also has a strong anti-
inflammatory effect, it reins in the immune system and reduces swelling from
tissue damage. In hypoadrenalism when there is insufficient cortisol the immune
system runs wild and reacts to things that do not really pose a threat to the body,
such as in the instance of allergies. High cortisol levels are the result of the response
to chronic stress and represent the adaptation phase of the stress response. Low
cortisol levels are the consequence of adrenal exhaustion or the exhaustion phase
of the stress response cycle.
Cortisol output normally has a diurnal and circadian rhythm, rising in the
morning, falling at night, and changing with the seasons. Changes related to
work-sleep cycles affect this rhythm, and changes in the rhythm affect night-time
sleep patterns. Changes in the length of daylight hours, blindness, and loss of
consciousness also affects the rhythm. Cortisol levels might be one of the main
factors in the timing of kundalini awakenings and its various phases.
Cortisol opposes and works to balance the action of insulin on glucose storage.
When insulin lowers blood sugar past a certain point, cortisol levels increase to
raise blood sugar. Cortisol mobilizes amino acids from muscle to increase protein
breakdown, mobilizes fatty acids to increase lipid concentrations in the blood,
and increases blood glucose concentration. At the same time the other tissues of
the body such as viscera decrease their use of glucose as fuel. Cortisol also leads to
the release of so-called fatty acids, an energy source from fat cells, for use by the
muscles. Taken together, these energy-directing processes prepare the individual to
deal with stressors and danger, and ensure that the brain receives adequate energy
source.
Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and
stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels resulting in an
increase in appetite. Thus chronic stress, may lead to cortisol levels that stimulate
your appetite, with the end result being weight gain. While muscle growth
is adversely affected by cortisol by preventing the production of prostaglandin
in response to training (mechanical stimulation) and eating (insulin action). A
low glycemic diet is important for sugar handling stress increases cortisol levels.
Elevated cortisol, in turn, aggravates the sugar metabolism situation contributing
to the development of high insulin levels and ultimately diabetes.