Article by Dr Marion Gluck
Are you feeling more stressed now that lockdown is lifting? Stress can dramatically affect hormones and help create an imbalance. In particular, DHEA, an endogenous steroid hormone which gives energy and focus, can fall to low levels when stressed, which will then help trigger too much cortisol. Cortisol plays havoc with hormone levels and can increase appetite, decreases muscle mass, libido and bone density, along with contributing to depression and memory loss.
In a balanced nervous system cortisol is routinely released in the morning, which is good, as it gets us out of bed. Levels should drop by the evening as melatonin, the sleep hormone, is released by the pineal gland. Excessive stress can produce an excess of cortisol, which can take...