Combatting the Hormonal Effect of Stress with Supplements

A couple of weeks ago, I discussed how our brains perceive stress and stress affects our bodies, via our hormones. We also discussed how it is possible for our adrenals to get depleted of nutrients, cofactors, and raw materials they need to keep running in high gear all the time. This week I am discussing what can be done about this problem, to try to ward off some of the downstream effects of stress on our bodies. And remember, mainstream medicine does not universally accept “adrenal fatigue” as a thing, but it in general takes about 20 years for new ideas to be assimilated into mainstream medical practice.

1. Reduce your stress - Now I know it sounds like a stupid thing for me to just say “Reduce your stress”. Many of us are in situations where that seems like an impossible or ridiculous thing to even consider - especially if you’re still in residency, or in danger of losing your job or the like. That said, there are definitely things that can help reduce your brain’s perception of stress. 

Remember how we talked about how your brain responds to stress even if it’s just worry or rumination about things we can’t control? That part of stress is self-created! and we can definitely work to reduce that. 

Meditation absolutely helps redirect some of the 60,000 thoughts per day that our brain creates. There are so many ways to access meditation these days, through classes, apps like 10% happier, or teachers. Meditation up regulates your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps combat stress and is shown to lower cortisol levels.  Consistency is the key here. Just 6 minutes twice a day is profoundly helpful.

Coaching is also phenomenally helpful. For example - asking “Why is this happening to me?” is a completely unanswerable question and will generate endless thoughts of frustration, despair, and agony, but your brain keeps trying to close the loop because it doesn’t like unanswered questions. Or it may come up with completely unhelpful answers like because you suck, you’re lazy, and other ridiculous things. Better to ask how questions. Like “How can I turn this bad situation to my advantage, or how can I learn from this?” These are the kinds of thought patterns a personal coach can help you uncover and improve. They can also help you replace beating yourself up with self-compassion. This sounds wimpy and like self-pity, but it isn’t anything like that. Being your own best cheerleader instead of your own worst critic is an amazing way to reduce your self-generated mental stress. And be more productive. There are all kinds of books on self-coaching, mindset, and the like if you can’t afford a 1 on 1 coach. But truly - if you are a doctor - you really can’t afford not to get one.

I know not everyone has time, but Hobbies that take you out of your head, like woodworking, making music, knitting, or similar are amazing stress relievers. 

Movement - Exercise combats stress in 2 ways, first if it builds muscle, which then helps lower blood sugars and reduce the need for all that elevated insulin we discussed last week. It also directly improves parasympathetic tone. But anaerobic workouts like HIIT and weightlifting are better than prolonged endurance cardio which actually increases stress. 

Anti-inflammatory eating - elimination of sweetened foods and beverages avoiding processed carbs, and avoidance of processed “vegetable” oils in favor of coconut, avocado, and olive oils for cooking can reduce the inflammatory effects of stress. 

And finally sleep and digital detox are really foundational ways to reduce the effects of stress. Avoid alcohol, tv, and computer/smartphone use before bed. It may feel like it’s helping you relax, but studies show higher nighttime cortisol levels and sleep disruption. Blue light of course decreases your melatonin. Try a hot shower before bed to help you relax instead. Breathing exercises and a particular kind of passive meditation called Yoga Nidra help me immensely when my mind is churning away but it’s time to sleep. And really make an effort to go all out to get the recommended 8 hours. Getting up at 5 to go to the gym is a great thing, but only if you were in bed by 9.

2. Reduce your cortisol output through “adaptogens” - adaptogens are herbs that have been shown to suppress adrenal cortisol production. Sounds good right? Ashwagandha is one that is very popular. But - Here’s why I don’t really feel like this is a great idea. If you are anxious, part of the reason may be that your adrenals are having a hard time keeping up with the demand for cortisol that your stressful life requires, and you are pumping out adrenaline to supplement. If you suppress your ability to make adrenal hormones, that problem tends to get worse! not to mention the steal from aldosterone and sex hormones will also worsen. And if your adrenals are already not keeping up with demand, suppressing them just makes everything worse.  Remember - chronic pain, inflammation, extreme fatigue, and inability to manage stressful situations without breaking down - basically the definition of burnout!  are the consequences of not enough cortisol. Better to pick some of the techniques I already mentioned above, to help lower the demand for cortisol. And here’s something that works better.

3. Supplement your adrenals to make sure they have enough raw materials toward with. I’ll bring up our factory analogy again. The car factory that has been co-opted to make tanks, and is now breaking down because there are tools, small parts, and raw materials shortages. (sound familiar? anyone tried to buy a fancy car lately)

Minerals in particular are important - a good trace mineral supplement can be extremely helpful to support thyroid and adrenal function. It should supply iodine, selenium, and more in optimal amounts. Calcium, magnesium, and zinc are also key, likely in higher amounts than you can get from food, and there’s a nice combo supplement of those 3 that is great. Just don’t take calcium (or iron) close to when you take a thyroid hormone, they impair absorption. 

There are more supplements that can help as well. In particular, there’s an adrenal “glandular” made out of cleaned and dried animal adrenal glands that I recommend. It contains all the cofactors your adrenal glands need to pump out the sterol hormones. That needs to be taken at bedtime and early AM to boost the natural cycle of when the adrenals make cortisol. 

And finally - hormone precursors. Pregnenolone if female, and DHEA if male, taken twice a day with the glandular can make a huge difference when your adrenals just aren’t keeping up. These 2 combined can bring failing adrenal glands back to high gear, so it’s important to take it slow when starting these. One unusual and interesting symptom of needing this kind of supplementation is not remembering dreams. And when they come back? Watch out! Technicolor! Ask me how I know. And a steroid hormone profile from your doctor to follow along where you are isn’t a bad idea either.

I'm Dr. Dana Gibbs, encouraging you to take charge of your hormonal health. For more tips and updates, sign up for my newsletter at https://www.danagibbsmd.com/email-list-form. If you're in North Texas and struggling with thyroid or chronic fatigue issues, visit https://www.danagibbsmd.com/cim-medical for a new patient evaluation.