{"id":6973,"date":"2021-10-04T09:02:05","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T01:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/exosomes-2\/"},"modified":"2025-04-14T12:03:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T04:03:20","slug":"the-impacts-of-stress-on-hormones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/the-impacts-of-stress-on-hormones\/","title":{"rendered":"The Impacts of Stress on Hormones"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>We always hear how stress can be detrimental for almost every health outcome, but how does it affect the internal workings of the body to have such wide-spread impacts? In this article, we dive into the systemic effects that stress has on our hormonal pathways.<\/p>\n<p>When we experience stress, the body reacts to prepare for action and protect ourselves from serious harm. However, this response has been honed by evolution to be intense, short-lived, and with long restful periods between stress episodes. In modern day, most of us can agree that our lives look more like the opposite: prolonger low-grade stress (perhaps with shorter, highly intense stressful periods) and the occasional restful time such as a vacation.<\/p>\n<p>As the chemical messengers that tell our systems what to do, our hormones pull the strings for our entire body.<\/p>\n<p>What happens to our hormones during stress?<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/the-impacts-of-stress-on-hormones\/#Hormone_Cortisol\" >Hormone: Cortisol<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/the-impacts-of-stress-on-hormones\/#Hormone_Catecholamines\" >Hormone:\u00a0Catecholamines<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/the-impacts-of-stress-on-hormones\/#Hormone_Gonadotropins\" >Hormone: Gonadotropins<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/the-impacts-of-stress-on-hormones\/#Hormone_Thyroid_hormones\" >Hormone: Thyroid hormones<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/the-impacts-of-stress-on-hormones\/#Hormone_Growth_hormone_GH\" >Hormone: Growth hormone (GH)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hormone_Cortisol\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Hormone<\/strong>: Cortisol<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is it:<\/strong>\u00a0The body\u2019s main stress hormone<\/p>\n<p><strong>Effect from stress<\/strong>: Goes up<\/p>\n<p><strong>Major health implication:<\/strong>\u00a0Weight gain<\/p>\n<p>Cortisol is a huge contributor to the obesity epidemic we are witnessing. It increases fat deposition around our belly, raises blood sugar levels, increases ghrelin (our \u201chungry\u201d signal), and decreases leptin (our \u201cfull\u201d signal). These impacts of stress on appetite, satiety, and fat storage are highly significant for healthy weight maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div  class=\"wpb_single_image wpb_content_element vc_align_left wpb_content_element\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<figure class=\"wpb_wrapper vc_figure\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"vc_single_image-wrapper   vc_box_border_grey\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/file-20180824-149490-xk7xk7.jpeg\" class=\"vc_single_image-img attachment-full\" alt=\"\" title=\"file-20180824-149490-xk7xk7\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/file-20180824-149490-xk7xk7.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/file-20180824-149490-xk7xk7-300x251.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/file-20180824-149490-xk7xk7-768x642.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/file-20180824-149490-xk7xk7-14x12.jpeg 14w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hormone_Catecholamines\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Hormone:<\/strong>\u00a0Catecholamines<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is it:<\/strong>\u00a0Catecholamines (like adrenaline) trigger the fight-or-flight response<\/p>\n<p><strong>Effect from stress:<\/strong> Goes up<\/p>\n<p><strong>Major health implication:\u00a0<\/strong>Heart attacks or stroke<\/p>\n<p>Much of adrenaline\u2019s functions work to reroute blood flow to the heart and muscles to increase cardiac output. Over time, surges of adrenaline can damage your\u00a0blood\u00a0vessels, raise your blood pressure, and increase your risk of getting a heart attack or a stroke.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hormone_Gonadotropins\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Hormone<\/strong>: Gonadotropins<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is does:<\/strong>\u00a0Regulate ovarian and testicular function<\/p>\n<p><strong>Effect from stress:<\/strong> Goes down<\/p>\n<p><strong>Major health implication:\u00a0<\/strong>Reproductive disruption and fertility<\/p>\n<p>Stress suppresses our gonadotropins leading to disrupted menstrual cycles in women and sub-optimal reproductive function. However, men are affected too. In males, stress-related gonadal dysfunction can lead to decreased sperm count and quality, as well as ejaculatory disorders and impotence.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hormone_Thyroid_hormones\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Hormone<\/strong>: Thyroid hormones<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is does:<\/strong>\u00a0Regulate metabolism, weight and energy<\/p>\n<p><strong>Effect from stress:<\/strong> Goes down<\/p>\n<p><strong>Major health implication:\u00a0<\/strong>Hyperthyroidism<\/p>\n<p>Thyroid function is usually down-regulated during stressful conditions, including hormones T3, T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Over time, this can cause a condition known as hyperthyroidism. The most common type is Graves\u2019 Disease, which is an autoimmune disease characterized by a swollen thyroid gland in the throat, fatigue, anxiety, hair loss and more.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hormone_Growth_hormone_GH\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Hormone<\/strong>: Growth hormone (GH)<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is does:<\/strong>\u00a0Regulate metabolism, weight and energy<\/p>\n<p><strong>Effect from stress:<\/strong> Goes down<\/p>\n<p><strong>Major health implication:\u00a0<\/strong>Muscle loss or delayed growth<\/p>\n<p>Although growth hormone increases during acute physical stress (like a workout), chronic mental stress can lower GH secretion. For children, this can lead to delayed growth and stunting. For adults, it might not affect your height, but it can sabotage muscle growth, sexual function and mood.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>Stress is a complicated psychological and physiological response. While it is a completely healthy and normal part of life, many of us struggle with chronic stress that we brush off as \u201cunavoidable\u201d or something we just need to live with. The truth is, our body might be bearing the load for all the stress we put on our shoulders. Stress management needs to be integrated into our health plan, our anti-aging protocols, and our everyday life.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/contact-us\/\">Contact us<\/a> to learn more about our stress management services and personalized plans.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 32px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h4>References<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li>Goldstein D. Stress-induced activation of the sympathetic nervous system.\u00a0<em>Balliere&#8217;s Clin Endocr Metab.\u00a0<\/em>1987;1:253\u201378.<\/li>\n<li>Navarro, Frederick. (2011). Diet, Exercise, Mindfulness, and Relaxation_Stress Management and Stress Reduction.<\/li>\n<li>Ranabir S, Reetu K. Stress and hormones.\u00a0<em>Indian J Endocrinol Metab<\/em>. 2011;15(1):18-22. doi:10.4103\/2230-8210.77573<\/li>\n<li>Stewart PM. The adrenal cortex. In: Kronenberg HM, et al., editors.\u00a0<em>Williams Textbook of Endocrinology.<\/em>\u00a0Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. pp. 445\u2013503.<\/li>\n<li>Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. The impact of stress on body function: A review.\u00a0<em>EXCLI J<\/em>. 2017;16:1057-1072. Published 2017 Jul 21. doi:10.17179\/excli2017-480<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We always hear how stress can be detrimental for almost every health outcome, but how does it affect the internal workings of the body to have such wide-spread impacts? In this article, we dive into the systemic effects that stress has on our hormonal pathways. When we experience stress, the body reacts to prepare for [...]","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6975,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[202,204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biohacking","category-functional-medicine"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Heart-and-hormone.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6973"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8890,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6973\/revisions\/8890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}