As most people go through their lives on daily basis, some experience the obvious stress, and for some, they are not aware of, even if it happen on almost every workday. For much of the time, we know stress when we feel it, but for certain scenarios, we tend to get 'immune' to it, and we didn't realize it's a stressor.
Let's take some of the most common situations where most of us experienced it on regular basis. As we are heading to work during rush hour, the traffic is simply not moving, you have a meeting to attend, and you are afraid to get fired or complain by your boss. The unpleasant feeling of stress is felt by most people, but there are also some situations where we are so get used to it, such as commuting in an hour long thinking that you are in for a ride. Or, in another scenario, you get used to sleeping late, going to bed 2 or 3 am on nightly basis, happened for years, and your just don't feel it anymore.
The thing is, whether you know it or not, your brain does. This vital organ is command central. it detects the dangers in your internal and external environment and sends out signals and chemical messengers, including those that go directly to the adrenal glands. Bear in mind, the brain is the key organ of the response to stress because it determines what is threatening and therefore, potentially stressful, as well as physiological and behavioral responses which can be either adaptive or damaging.
In this post, we will discuss more about the brain, and the mechanism that are involved with regulating aspects of the adrenal glands.
Hypothalamus - It is essential to the HPA axis that regulates the amount of cortisol your adrenal glands produced at any given time.
Hippocampus - The area of the brain's temporal lobe that helps to coordinate your cortisol circadian rhythm.
Mesencephalic Midbrain - Controls the amplitude of your adrenal response.
Pineal Gland - Helps regulate circadian cortisol and melatonin balance.
The first 3 areas of the brain, are part of your limbic system, or sometimes it's called the emotional primal brain. Brain messages are carried via neurotransmitters and inflammatory compounds called cytokines, delivered to what are referred to as PVN (paraventricular nuclear) cells in your hypothalamus, which determine how much cortisol your adrenals need to produce at any given time.
Let's say if there are too much stimulation or too many stimulants, too much stress or too much exercise, the result will be overstimulation or even agitation. And if there is are more inhibitory messages, then your cortisol output will be inhibited, for better or worst. it's all about appropriate messaging and feedback loops.
Bear in mind, infections and certain types of inflammatory cytokines can have huge dampening effect on the hypothalamus, either through receptor down-regulation related to chronic inflammatory bombardment or depressed CRH release, as seen with autoimmune conditions. Also, certain inflammatory cytokines can block the stimulatory effects of CRH and ACTH on the pituitary and adrenal cortex.
There are multiple ways which a hypothalamic mishap, which can lead to adrenal dsyregulation. It can send a message to the adrenal glands that causes them to release too much cortisol or not enough. In this scenario, taking adrenal herbal protocols or supplements may seem ineffective ain't it? The problem is not the adrenal glands itself, but in the message it is receiving from the brain.
As you can see, although adrenal dsyregulation is known by many alternative medical practitioners, but few would truly understand part of this mechanism which could be alter what's really happening here. In fact, if this is the case, it is not glandular in nature at all, but is instead often due to mechanisms and dsyregulation in the brain that lead to faulty signaling to the adrenals. Remember, your adrenal glands are just simply a hormone factory, they basically do what is being signaled by the brain.
I know, by now, some of you must be thinking. If my holistic or naturopathic doctor may misdiagnose this scenario, how on earth would the doctor get into the root cause of my supposedly adrenal related problem? Not to mention those patients who are being poorly diagnosed by conventional doctors and almost entirely no clue what is wrong with these exhausted sick people.
More and more people are replying on stimulants such as energy drinks, coffee, tea, soft drinks, and any foods laden with sugar. For others, nicotine in cigarettes, alcohol and wheat based foods as source of quick but short lived energy boost. In order for one to assess the level of adrenal dsyregulation, calculate the amount of stimulants needed for regular or daily dependency. It's the same concept with trying to boost testosterone level using synthetic formulas, or perhaps sleeping pills to enable sleeping disorder.
In the next post, I will discuss about other part of the brain (hippocampus) and also certain ways and nutrition protocols to support and feed the brain. Stay tuned.
There are multiple ways which a hypothalamic mishap, which can lead to adrenal dsyregulation. It can send a message to the adrenal glands that causes them to release too much cortisol or not enough. In this scenario, taking adrenal herbal protocols or supplements may seem ineffective ain't it? The problem is not the adrenal glands itself, but in the message it is receiving from the brain.
As you can see, although adrenal dsyregulation is known by many alternative medical practitioners, but few would truly understand part of this mechanism which could be alter what's really happening here. In fact, if this is the case, it is not glandular in nature at all, but is instead often due to mechanisms and dsyregulation in the brain that lead to faulty signaling to the adrenals. Remember, your adrenal glands are just simply a hormone factory, they basically do what is being signaled by the brain.
I know, by now, some of you must be thinking. If my holistic or naturopathic doctor may misdiagnose this scenario, how on earth would the doctor get into the root cause of my supposedly adrenal related problem? Not to mention those patients who are being poorly diagnosed by conventional doctors and almost entirely no clue what is wrong with these exhausted sick people.
More and more people are replying on stimulants such as energy drinks, coffee, tea, soft drinks, and any foods laden with sugar. For others, nicotine in cigarettes, alcohol and wheat based foods as source of quick but short lived energy boost. In order for one to assess the level of adrenal dsyregulation, calculate the amount of stimulants needed for regular or daily dependency. It's the same concept with trying to boost testosterone level using synthetic formulas, or perhaps sleeping pills to enable sleeping disorder.
In the next post, I will discuss about other part of the brain (hippocampus) and also certain ways and nutrition protocols to support and feed the brain. Stay tuned.
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