Cortisol is a steroid hormone that helps regulate metabolism, immune activity, blood pressure, and the body’s response to stress.
Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It helps the body make energy available during periods of increased demand and influences many processes throughout the body.
Cortisol is not simply a “stress hormone.” It is normally present in the body and follows a daily rhythm, typically reaching higher levels in the morning and gradually declining during the day.
QUICK FACT
Cortisol is essential for normal body function. The problem is not having cortisol, but having abnormal levels or patterns of cortisol production.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Adrenaline: Adrenaline produces rapid changes that help prepare the body for immediate action, while cortisol generally has broader and longer-lasting effects.
- Cortisone: a closely related steroid that has different biological activity
SEE ALSO
- Adrenaline
- Stress Response
- Stress Hormone
- HPA Axis
- Adrenal Glands
- Endocrine System
