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Preventive Nutrition > The Cortisol Connection- Part Two > Flashcards

The Cortisol Connection- Part Two Flashcards

1
Q

what is the body’s “fat storage” enzyme?

A

HSD

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2
Q

what is HSD necessary for?

A

to convert inactive cortisol back into the active form which then functions as a potent fat-storage signal within fat cells

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3
Q

in the body, where is HSD highest in?

A

higher in abdominal fats cells than it is in other parts of the body

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4
Q

HSD is found in every cell of the boy but what 3 tissues is it highest in?

A
  • adipose tissue
  • liver tissue
  • brain tissue
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5
Q

what is HSD referred to as and what does that mean?

A

“membrane-bound microsomal enzyme”

-meaning it attached to the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum that resides inside of the cell

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6
Q

what is HSD considered?

A

considered a ‘local amplifier’ of cortisol exposure and will force each cell to be exposed to cortisol internally

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7
Q

what do high levels of HSD mean?

A

high rate of fat storage and faster accumulation of fat stores

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8
Q

what do high levels of HSD in the liver mean?

A

higher risk of diabetes

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9
Q

what does HSD in the abdominal area mean?

A

higher waist circumference

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10
Q

what does high HSD activity lead to?

A
  • leads to the body to perceive it is constantly receiving high cortisol, therefore signaling the body to store fat
  • no matter what your stress level is or your activity level, or your diet, you will always be fighting against your own metabolism
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11
Q

what are big 3 risk factors of high cortisol production?

A
  • chronic stress
  • restrained eating (dieting)
  • sleep deprivation
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12
Q

with HSD, what can the liver and related internal organs do?

A

convert inactive cortisol to active cortisol, so stressed out or not, your body may have elevated cortisol levels

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13
Q

what contributes up to 1/3 each of total body cortisol?

A
  • adrenals
  • fat cells
  • liver
    • therefore stress management and exercise control only a third of the total cortisol exposure
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14
Q

what does not have a direct effect on HSD activity?

A

lifestyle factors including exercise, stress, etc

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15
Q

human growth hormone has been shown to affect what % of the change in HSD levels?

A

-10-46%

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16
Q

what happens to HSD and HGH levels as we age?

A

HGH decreased and HSD increases

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17
Q

what can block HSD activity?

A

synthetic drugs - but more research is needed

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18
Q

what are some of the strongest controllers of HSD activity?

A

found in foods rich in flavonoids (apples, onions, grapefruit, soybeans)

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19
Q

what is the most potent flavonoid for balancing HSD?

A
  • polymethoxylated (PMFs)
  • can be found in oranges
  • can be 3-5 times stronger than other flavonoids
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20
Q

what does licorice do to HSD?

A
  • contains flavonoids to inhibit HSD

- also raises blood pressure so cannot be used for long term use

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21
Q

what is testosterone necessary for?

A

building muscle, skin, tendons, bones, immune system components and to control blood cell production and metabolism of macronutrients from blood

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22
Q

what effects does low testosterone have?

A
  • emotional changes
  • low sex drive
  • decreased muscle mass
  • reduced metabolic rate
  • increased abdominal fat
  • weak bones
  • back pain
  • elevated cholesterol
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23
Q

where is testosterone produced?

A
  • ovaries in women
  • testes in men
  • adrenal glands
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24
Q

what happens to testosterone during periods of high cortisol levels?

A

natural production of testosterone drops

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25
explain the testosterone levels in women compared to men
-women have only a tenth of the testosterone men do, so a drop in testosterone would effect women much more
26
explain testosterone levels and age
naturally drop as we age, peak levels are in the mid-twenties and are about 20% lower in our forties
27
what binds with testosterone making it unable to use?
- sex hormone- binding globulin | - as we age, we produce more SHBG leading to further binding of testosterone which is already decreasing
28
what is the drop of testosterone one of the factors of?
factor in menopause and andropause (men) | -leads to changes in attitude and mood as well as loss of energy and sex drive
29
what is the most noticeable side effect of falling testosterone?
expanding waste
30
what is almost inevitable with high cortisol and low testosterone?
increased weight gain in the mid-section
31
with high cortisol and low testosterone what happens if we try to lose weight?
our body's 'fight back' by slowing metabolism down and conserving body fat by raising cortsiol and dropping testosterone- a decline in muscle mass occurs as well
32
what are natural ways of maintaining testosterone levels?
- getting enough sleep - staying physically active - maintaining adequate hydration - learning to perceive stressful events in the proper context
33
why do stress related diseases occur?
because of excessive activation of the stress response in the brain and in the endocrine system in reaction to common everyday sources of physical and psychological stress
34
how does the body respond to our 'perceived' stress?
-responds to it the same way it does to actual stress
35
what happens if the stress response is on more than it should be?
disease is eventually the end result
36
what does insulin act as?
energy storage regulator as well as a blood sugar balancer
37
under periods of stress what happens to insulin?
cortisol sends the signals to no longer store energy , therefore ignoring the action of insulin
38
when stress is chronic and insulin is being ignored, what happens?
insulin resistance occurs and predisposes a person to develop diabetes
39
what happens since insulin is being ignored?
more insulin is being excreted as well
40
why does stress make a person fat?
primarily due to the excessive secretion of cortisol along with secretion of DHEA, testosterone and growth hormone
41
is cortisone catabolic or anabolic?
catabolic
42
is DHEA, testosterone and GH catabolic or anabolic?
anabolic
43
what is fat accumulation the end result of?
muscle loss, slowing of the metabolic rate and increased appetite
44
what does syndrome X refer to?
a cluster of related conditions and symptoms including diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease
45
what is the main metabolic factor in syndrome X?
insulin resistance- combine that with poor dietary habits and high cortisol levels; syndrome X occurs which can have a compact on every disease inducing process in the body
46
explain why fatigue and insomnia are often found together?
stress from daily life events--> fatigue and inability to cope--> trouble falling asleep, insomnia and poor sleep quality
47
how does stress effect sex hormones?
stress has effect on cortisol levels and therefore has effect on sex hormones
48
explains how sex hormones are effected in males
- dramatic drop in testosterone levels due to cortisols effect on reducing the production of pre-hormone compounds that are precursors to testosterone - cortisol also blocks the response of testosterone in the testicles
49
explain how sex hormones are effected in females
- disruption of testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and prolactin are all effected by stress - the sensitive balance between each gets thrown off disrupting the normal menstrual cycle and can even cease the menstrual cycle all together
50
what is the term used for disrupting the normal menstrual cycle?
oligomenorrhea
51
what is the term used for ceasing the menstrual cycle all together?
amenorrhea
52
how can stress effect the thymus gland?
-chronic or repeated bouts of stress lead to a shrinking of the thymus gland (key immune tissue in the body) and a general suppression of immune system strength
53
what does cortisol suppress the building of?
suppressed the building of WBCs to secrete chemical messengers (interleukins and interferons) therefore interfering with the communication internally that would effectively fight off infections even shutting it off completely
54
in regards to cardiovascular disease, what does stress increase?
- heart rate - blood pressure - cardiac output
55
what else does stress do to the cardiovascular system?
shuts down the blood flow to the digestive system which helps increase blood flow to the muscles necessary to flee or fight
56
what does chronic activation to your stress response increase in the cardiovascular system?
increases risk of rupturing a vessel in the heart
57
what do stress hormones have a tendency to do in regards to the CV system?
tendency to promote blood clotting therefore leading to thickening of the blood and potential stroke, heart attack and increased blod pressure
58
what is one of the strongest factors for stress?
psychological
59
how can stress increase mental deterioration?
by damaging and even death of nerve cells in the brain
60
how does stress effect the brain?
- can lead to physical changes in the arrangements of the neurons in the brain - also elevates the catecholamine's (epinephrine and norepinephrine)
61
in what people do cortisol levels tend to be higher in?
higher in people suffering from depression, while levels of brain neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin) are lower
62
how does cortisol effect neurotransmitters?
interferes with the synthesis, transport, breakdown and overall activity
63
alzheimers disease is associated with the loss of which neurotransmitter?
acetylcholine
64
explain the cycle of cortisol and the gut
stressful events will cause digestion to cease--> blood flow diverted away from digestion--> secretion of saliva and digestion enzymes are slowed--> intestinal contractions and absorption of nutrients are stopped
65
how does cortisol effect aging?
aging alone leads to fat gain and muscle loss (sarcopenia), bone loss (osteopenia/osteoporosis) and joint cartilage loss (arthropenia/arthritis)-- elevated cortisol speeds up this process
66
cortisol has been shown to decrease levels of what?
decrease levels of connective tissue growth factors and inhibit the activity of bone building cells (osteoblasts), muscle building cells (satellite cells) and cartilage building cells (chondrocytes)
67
do older or younger individuals have higher cortisol levels?
older people
68
can younger or older people deal with stress better?
younger people can, however they both secrete the same amount of stress hormones
69
can younger or older individuals recover faster?
younger
70
why is acute immune system stimulation good?
enhances immune function
71
why is chronic immune system stimulation bad?
can cause wither immune-cell death or autoimmune disease
72
explain immune-cell death
evolutionary 'safety valve' to help prevent autoimmune diseases (but also increases infection risk)
73
explain autoimmune disease
immune cells attack healthy body tissue

Preventive Nutrition (6 decks)

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