Chronic stress and burnout
Stress is omnipresent for many people today. The stresses at work have tended to increase, there is a lot to be done and done in our free time and the family must not be neglected either. For many it is difficult to meet all expectations – not least their own – and to reconcile everything.
Stress increases cortisol levels
When you are under stress, your adrenal cortex produces more cortisol. This hormone performs many tasks in the body. On the one hand, it has a dampening effect on the immune system. It ensures that inflammation does not spread too much and that every small inflammation does not turn into a major catastrophe. Because of these properties, medicine often uses cortisone, which is related to cortisol, to suppress excessive reactions and inhibit inflammation.
The body needs to be able to relieve stress
Cortisol, together with insulin, also contributes to the regulation of blood sugar levels. Stress takes a lot of energy. By raising blood sugar levels, cortisol ensures that the body has sufficient energy available quickly when it is needed. Biologically, this is a very useful mechanism: In a dangerous situation, we get the energy we need to be able to fight or flee. Today, however, we are often "under constant current" due to stress and we lack the necessary movement ("fight or flight"), which would bring the body back down to a "normal operating level". This is the reason why sport is very suitable for reducing stress and preventing the negative effects of stress.
In burnout, cortisol is low
The adrenal gland is only able to continuously produce large amounts of cortisol for about 3 years. She then falls into a state of exhaustion with a rapid drop in cortisol levels. The result is the clinical picture of burnout, a state of complete physical and mental exhaustion. With a simple test, the cortisol daily profile, you can see whether a person is still under stress (high cortisol) or already burned out (low cortisol).
Cayenne stimulates cortisol production
What now? Burnout patients require medical support. They need support in the acute phase, during regeneration and with the sustainable change in their lifestyle. One treatment option is cayenne pepper supplementation. The pungent substances contained in the pods can stimulate the production of the body's now missing cortisol and thus help the patient to get back on his feet more quickly and to tackle the necessary lifestyle adjustments. Other possibilities of vital substance medicine are the intake of bee pollen (give energy), coenzyme Q10 (to prevent tiredness), moringa (natural multivitamin) or chokeberry.