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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
Q

explain the testosterone levels in women compared to men

A

-women have only a tenth of the testosterone men do, so a drop in testosterone would effect women much more

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26
Q

explain testosterone levels and age

A

naturally drop as we age, peak levels are in the mid-twenties and are about 20% lower in our forties

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27
Q

what binds with testosterone making it unable to use?

A
  • sex hormone- binding globulin

- as we age, we produce more SHBG leading to further binding of testosterone which is already decreasing

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28
Q

what is the drop of testosterone one of the factors of?

A

factor in menopause and andropause (men)

-leads to changes in attitude and mood as well as loss of energy and sex drive

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29
Q

what is the most noticeable side effect of falling testosterone?

A

expanding waste

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30
Q

what is almost inevitable with high cortisol and low testosterone?

A

increased weight gain in the mid-section

31
Q

with high cortisol and low testosterone what happens if we try to lose weight?

A

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
Q

what are natural ways of maintaining testosterone levels?

A
  • getting enough sleep
  • staying physically active
  • maintaining adequate hydration
  • learning to perceive stressful events in the proper context
33
Q

why do stress related diseases occur?

A

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
Q

how does the body respond to our ‘perceived’ stress?

A

-responds to it the same way it does to actual stress

35
Q

what happens if the stress response is on more than it should be?

A

disease is eventually the end result

36
Q

what does insulin act as?

A

energy storage regulator as well as a blood sugar balancer

37
Q

under periods of stress what happens to insulin?

A

cortisol sends the signals to no longer store energy , therefore ignoring the action of insulin

38
Q

when stress is chronic and insulin is being ignored, what happens?

A

insulin resistance occurs and predisposes a person to develop diabetes

39
Q

what happens since insulin is being ignored?

A

more insulin is being excreted as well

40
Q

why does stress make a person fat?

A

primarily due to the excessive secretion of cortisol along with secretion of DHEA, testosterone and growth hormone

41
Q

is cortisone catabolic or anabolic?

A

catabolic

42
Q

is DHEA, testosterone and GH catabolic or anabolic?

A

anabolic

43
Q

what is fat accumulation the end result of?

A

muscle loss, slowing of the metabolic rate and increased appetite

44
Q

what does syndrome X refer to?

A

a cluster of related conditions and symptoms including diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease

45
Q

what is the main metabolic factor in syndrome X?

A

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
Q

explain why fatigue and insomnia are often found together?

A

stress from daily life events–> fatigue and inability to cope–> trouble falling asleep, insomnia and poor sleep quality

47
Q

how does stress effect sex hormones?

A

stress has effect on cortisol levels and therefore has effect on sex hormones

48
Q

explains how sex hormones are effected in males

A
  • 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
Q

explain how sex hormones are effected in females

A
  • 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
Q

what is the term used for disrupting the normal menstrual cycle?

A

oligomenorrhea

51
Q

what is the term used for ceasing the menstrual cycle all together?

A

amenorrhea

52
Q

how can stress effect the thymus gland?

A

-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
Q

what does cortisol suppress the building of?

A

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
Q

in regards to cardiovascular disease, what does stress increase?

A
  • heart rate
  • blood pressure
  • cardiac output
55
Q

what else does stress do to the cardiovascular system?

A

shuts down the blood flow to the digestive system which helps increase blood flow to the muscles necessary to flee or fight

56
Q

what does chronic activation to your stress response increase in the cardiovascular system?

A

increases risk of rupturing a vessel in the heart

57
Q

what do stress hormones have a tendency to do in regards to the CV system?

A

tendency to promote blood clotting therefore leading to thickening of the blood and potential stroke, heart attack and increased blod pressure

58
Q

what is one of the strongest factors for stress?

A

psychological

59
Q

how can stress increase mental deterioration?

A

by damaging and even death of nerve cells in the brain

60
Q

how does stress effect the brain?

A
  • can lead to physical changes in the arrangements of the neurons in the brain
  • also elevates the catecholamine’s (epinephrine and norepinephrine)
61
Q

in what people do cortisol levels tend to be higher in?

A

higher in people suffering from depression, while levels of brain neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin) are lower

62
Q

how does cortisol effect neurotransmitters?

A

interferes with the synthesis, transport, breakdown and overall activity

63
Q

alzheimers disease is associated with the loss of which neurotransmitter?

A

acetylcholine

64
Q

explain the cycle of cortisol and the gut

A

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
Q

how does cortisol effect aging?

A

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
Q

cortisol has been shown to decrease levels of what?

A

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
Q

do older or younger individuals have higher cortisol levels?

A

older people

68
Q

can younger or older people deal with stress better?

A

younger people can, however they both secrete the same amount of stress hormones

69
Q

can younger or older individuals recover faster?

A

younger

70
Q

why is acute immune system stimulation good?

A

enhances immune function

71
Q

why is chronic immune system stimulation bad?

A

can cause wither immune-cell death or autoimmune disease

72
Q

explain immune-cell death

A

evolutionary ‘safety valve’ to help prevent autoimmune diseases (but also increases infection risk)

73
Q

explain autoimmune disease

A

immune cells attack healthy body tissue

Preventive Nutrition (6 decks)

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