Health Effects of Cortisol
- Stress - Cortisol is released in response to stress, restoring homeostasis. However, prolonged cortisol secretion (which may be due to chronic stress or the excessive secretion seen in Cushing's syndrome) results in significant detrimental changes.
- Insulin - Cortisol counteracts insulin and contributes to elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance.
- Collagen - Chronic prolonged exposure to relatively high levels of cortisol (e.g. in chronic stress) causes collagen loss in the skin causing it to look thinner and older.
- Gastric Function - Cortisol stimulates gastric acid secretion and predisposes to stomach ulcer, reflux, and dyspepsia
- Electrolytes - Excessive cortisol retains sodium through the small intestine and causes increased potassium excretion by the kidneys. At the same time, the kidneys hold on to potassium during a decline in cortisol level.
- Water - Cortisol acts as a diuretic hormone by controlling one-half of intestinal diuresis and also causes the kidneys to produce hypotonic urine.
- Copper - Cortisol stimulates many copper enzymes (often up to 50% of their total potential) This includes lysyl oxidase, an enzyme which is used to cross-link collagen and elastin. Especially valuable for the immune response is cortisol's stimulation of the super-oxide dismutase, since this copper enzyme is almost certainly used by the body to permit superoxides to poison bacteria. Cortisol also causes an inverse four or fivefold decrease of metallothionein (a copper storage protein).
- Immune system - Cortisol can weaken the activity of the immune system. Cortisol prevents the proliferation of T-cells by rendering the interleukin-2 producer T cells unresponsive to interleukin-1 (IL-1) and unable to produce the T-cell growth factor
- Bone Metabolism - Cortisol reduces bone formation and calcium absorption in the intestine. Prolonged excessive cortisol production causes osteoporosis.
- Memory - Cortisol works with epinephrine (adrenaline) to create memories of short-term emotional events, the proposed mechanism for the storage of flashbulb memories and may originate as a means to remember what to avoid in the future. However, long-term exposure to cortisol damages cells in the hippocampus; this damage results in impaired learning. Furthermore, it has been shown that cortisol inhibits memory retrieval of already stored information.
- Blood Pressure - Cortisol increases blood pressure by heightening the sensitivity of the vasculature to epinephrine and norepinephrine; in the absence of cortisol, widespread vasodilatation occurs.
- Reproductive System - Cortisol shuts down the reproductive system, resulting in the increased chance of miscarriage and, in some cases, temporary infertility. Fertility returns after cortisol levels are restored to normal.
- Inflammation - Cortisol has anti-inflammatory properties, reducing histamine secretion and stabilizing lysosomal membranes. The stabilization of lysosomal membranes prevents their rupture, thus preventing damage to healthy tissues.
- Liver Detoxification - Cortisol stimulates hepatic detoxification by inducing tryptophan oxygenase, (reducing serotonin levels in the brain), glutamine synthase (reducing glutamate and ammonia levels in the brain), cytochrome P-450 hemoprotein (mobilizing arachidonic acid and metallothionein, which reduce heavy metals in the body)
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