According to a study by researchers at Centers for Disease Control (CDC), women who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) start their day with unusually low levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. The study used saliva samples taken as soon as the women awoke, 30 minutes later and an hour later, when cortisol levels typically reach their highest level of the day. The study showed that women who suffer from CFS have a low “fight or flight” response.

One theory for this is that accumulated stress over these women’s lifetimes has had a negative effect on their stress response. This study offers clues into what causes CFS, how to diagnose and treat it, and why women are four times more likely than men to have it. They did not find a similar relationship among men.

Strengthening your adrenals is important in helping regulate cortisol levels.

Here are some tips to help support your adrenals:

• don’t drink coffee
• limit intake of sugar
• exercise
• eat lots of vegetables
• do deep breathing
• eat regular meals

Taking a supplement that is a rich source of nutrients and other factors that support adrenal health and physiological function may help, as well.

We also offer cortisol testing through Neuroscience. It is a simple test that can determine your cortisol levels. For more information regarding this test, please contact Naz (800-869-9159, ext. 1019).

Tags: adrenal health, chronic fatigue syndrome, cortisol

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 12:07 pm and is filed under Health Concerns, Nutritional Supplements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.