Adrenal Fatigue
Are your adrenal glands functioning optimally? If you have the following symptoms you may have an adrenal gland problem:
- Lack of energy
- Muscle and joint pain
- Low blood sugar
- Migraine headaches
- Osteoporosis
- Sleep disturbances
- Poor memory
- Low sex drive
- Low body temperature
- Weak immune system
- Abnormal thyroid function
The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and weigh approximately 5 grams each. Per gram of tissue the adrenals have one of the highest rates of blood flow and the highest concentration of vitamin C. There are actually two parts to the adrenal gland. The cortex produces the steroid hormones cortisol, DHEA and aldosterone while the medulla (inner portion) produces adrenaline and noradrenaline.
The adrenals actually function based on a circadian rhythm with the greatest amount of hormones produced early in the day and then decrease as the day progresses. An ab-normal adrenal rhythm can wreak havoc on many functions of the body. Energy production is heavily influenced by the adrenal glands. Do you have trouble ris-ing in the morning? Are you dragging to get out of bed? Do your energy levels drop in the afternoon and sweet cravings suddenly come one? These can all be related to ad-renal dysfunction.
The ability of your body to build bone is directly related to the health of the adrenals. Stress plays a major role in osteoporosis as it can cause abnormal cortisol levels which disrupt female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.
The cortisol cycle also affects the proper functioning of your immune system. Secretory IgA is a surface antibody that waits for viruses and other pathogens that enter the nose, throat, urinary and intestinal tract. Abnormal cortisol rhythms will reduce the amount of secretory IgA thus making us vulnerable to infections. Are you the one who always gets sick when something is going around?
If you wake up at night and can’t go back to sleep or struggle to get out of bed in the morning your adrenals may not be in rhythm while you are sleeping. High cortisol levels will wake you from deep REM sleep which is so vital for growth hormone production and brain regeneration. High cortisol can also inhibit skin regeneration at night thus accel-erating the aging skin process.
If you have hypothyroidism or the symptoms of hypothyroidism it could be an adrenal gland problem. These include: fatigue, low body temperature, depression, inability to lose weight, dry skin, low sex drive, constipation and brain fog.
Wheat, barley, rye and oats contain gluten which inflames the gut shortly after eating these foods. This causes a stress response on the adrenals which increases cortisol and decreases DHEA.
Treatment of adrenal dysfunction requires adequate testing of cortisol, DHEA, insulin, secretory IgA and gluten antibodies. Once the exact levels of adrenal hormones during your circadian rhythm are known, proper vitamin, mineral, herb and natural hormone supplementation can be implemented. Improve your health in so many ways by balanc-ing your adrenal glands.