Adrenal glands and circadian rhythm, the key to optimal health
After almost 16 years of clinical experience and having studied more than 5000 analyses, I have been able to understand what is happening behind the vast majority of pathologies and functional disorders, as well as the limitations in all those people who are in the sports world and do not reach their marks and objectives.
I'll sum it up for you in just 4 words:
Cortisol, DHEA, melatonin and oxytocin : 4 substances that, if you manage to keep them in balance, will ensure your physical and mental health is always at its peak.
Currently there is a therapeutic reductionism that leads us to address health problems by focusing on the symptoms, developing strategies for nutrition, medication and even supplementation towards the symptom and not towards the cause.
It doesn't matter if it's through conventional medicine (with the red pill) or integrative medicine (with the green pill), if your focus is on the consequence and not the cause, nothing will change.
The adrenal glands control all systems and organs, either directly or indirectly. The vast majority of alterations that occur in your body are related to their function or hypofunction. Keep this in mind to focus on what is important, and not on what is irrelevant.
I'm going to give you several examples so you can understand in greater depth the importance of these glands, and how related they are to other systems:
Digestive problems
I could say that more than 70% of the people who have come to my practice were presenting digestive disorders, both at the gastric level, microbiota level and intestinal level, and each and every one of them had come from other specialists (conventional and non-conventional) who had carried out treatments directed towards the symptom and not towards the cause.
Do you have problems digesting macronutrients?
I'll give you digestive enzymes
Do you have any issues with your gut microbiota?
I'll give you probiotics
Do you have microbiological and/or parasitological problems?
I'll give you antimicrobials and antiparasitics.
In the vast majority of cases, this entire approach had been neither effective nor positive, and the people had become chronically ill, being treated from an integrative perspective, taking an incredibly high amount of supplements that were not addressing the cause.
Do you want to know what's behind more than 90% of digestive problems?
Adrenal stress, the dysregulation in cortisol production, is what destabilizes your digestive system and your other systems and organs.
It is biochemically impossible to have good digestive function (gastric acids, enzymes, hormones, bile salts, etc.) if your autonomic nervous system (sympathetic-parasympathetic) is constantly altered.
The problem is not the food, the problem is your biochemical state, conditioned by the emotional one, which does not allow what you eat to sit well with you, nor does it allow your microbial populations to be in their specific places.
I have observed that when you restore adrenal balance, a person can go back to eating any type of food, and their overall health returns to normal, without having to take a lot of digestive enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, or antimicrobial/antiparasitic substances.
“Get your adrenal function in order and your digestive health will be at its best.”
Problems related to oxidative stress and internal pollution
There is no worse pollutant for our cells than an excess of free radicals, which generate excessive oxidative stress and cellular aging.
These molecules are worse than any toxic substance, whether it's a heavy metal, pesticide, phthalate, or toxic waste from cellular metabolism itself.
When your cortisol levels are elevated, the production of these free radicals can increase by 10, 20, and even 50 times, so imagine the toxic load that adrenal dysregulation can cause.
I have been able to observe that when a person reduces their stress levels and their adrenal phase 3/4 reverts to a phase 2/1, not only does the level of heavy metals and non-metal toxins decrease, but oxidative stress also decreases.
Energy level problems
In order to function properly, our cells need molecules called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), an energy currency that helps us to be in the best state of physical and mental well-being.
Do you want to know what generates the most ATP expenditure?
High stress, because every time our adrenal system is triggered, our own cellular intelligence understands that it is in a fight or flight situation, and produces a series of biochemical changes that consume countless ATP molecules, so that stress is decreasing your cellular economy, leading you to a worse state of health.
Do you want to know what our body does when it has high ATP demands?
It uses a large amount of tryptophan (an essential amino acid) to create it, leading to a lower production of serotonin and melatonin, since that tryptophan has several metabolic pathways, one towards the production of ATP and another towards the production of that hormone and neurotransmitter, so our mood will be more down, depressive, with constant alterations at an emotional level and even affecting the quality of sleep.
Do you know what happens when a person lowers their stress levels and goes from an adrenal phase 3/4 to a 2/1?
Their serotonin/melatonin production is higher, they have more energy (because there are fewer ATP demands), and their physical and cognitive health is at its peak.
Immune system problems
I see more and more people in a state of immunosuppression, with extremely low levels in all leukocyte populations, being treated for different causes (viral, bacteriological, parasitological, etc.) believing that the problem of that low immune system was caused by the microorganism/parasite, when in reality these living beings had been able to proliferate and express themselves because chronic stress had lowered their immune system.
Another example you can see of how the problem is currently being addressed from the perspective of the consequence and not the cause.
I have been able to verify how people with a decrease in their immune potential recovered all their leukocyte populations after regulating and improving their adrenal function, again reversing an adrenal phase 3/4 to a 2/1.
Reduce your cortisol levels and your immune system will be at its best, most functionally complete.
Okay, so far I've talked about how cortisol is what causes a disturbance in all these organs and systems, but there are 3 other hormones missing, which are closely related.
DHEA ( dehydroepiandrosterone)
The mother hormone of all hormones and the one that puts the brakes on cortisol, it is called the anti-aging hormone, do you want to know why?
Because nothing causes more aging than excess cortisol, and that hormone is what puts the brakes on cortisol, and decreases its levels incredibly when stress becomes chronic.
High cortisol = low DHEA
The third hormone is one of the best known and is the protagonist of most treatments and therapeutic approaches for sleep.
Melatonin
Who doesn't know or hasn't heard about this hormone?
This hormone helps us fall asleep and regulate sleep, ensuring it is of the highest quality. When its levels are low, all sleep phases (REM and non-REM) are destabilized, leading to a loss of the ability to repair the body and mind during nighttime rest.
I would like to explain how the contribution of this substance at a therapeutic level is being just as reductionist as the other substances I have mentioned at a digestive and immune level.
Do you want to know the main reason why melatonin levels are low at night?
The culprit here is "Excess cortisol," since this hormone puts a brake on melatonin. In other words, when our body tries to increase its production at night, cortisol prevents it, leading to insufficient levels.
If the problem lies in this circadian mismatch between melatonin/DHEA and cortisol, why don't we regulate this adrenal axis so that melatonin can be produced at night and the person can access deep and restorative sleep?
That should be the ideal approach: to regulate and balance adrenal function so that throughout the day cortisol can be at its optimal levels, and at night, as it decreases, it can give way to its friend melatonin, so that it can contribute to quality sleep.
And as in the other sections, here too I have been able to observe how when the person goes from an adrenal phase 3/4 to a phase 2/1, they can sleep deeply and with a quality of rest in which body and mind can recover from the whole day of physical and intellectual activity.
Remember that when we sleep, a series of changes occur in our bodies, during which each and every cell recovers from everything that has happened during the day. The quality of our sleep will determine whether, when we wake up, we can return to our peak physical and mental performance, or whether, on the contrary, we will be in a limited state, barely able to get by with a significantly compromised level of health.
And now I would like to introduce you to the last substance that is part of this circadian rhythm, which, along with DHEA, puts a brake on cortisol: oxytocin.
Oxytocin
It is a hormone/neuropeptide that has many functions in the human body, but on this occasion I would like to talk about one of its functions related to the circadian rhythm, so that you can fully understand the complexity of the adrenal function.
This hormone has the ability to modulate the activity of the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal axis, since it has the ability to inhibit the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol, the hormone we have been talking about and which is responsible for a large part of health problems.
“It is biochemically impossible to have high levels of cortisol and oxytocin at the same time; when one is high, the other is low.
“That is exactly what is currently happening in more than 90% of the population (more than 700 adrenal stress tests have determined this for me).
Do you want to know exactly what happens when there is an imbalance between cortisol/oxytocin?
Not only everything I have explained to you through this article (digestive problems-microbiota/intestine, difficulty sleeping and having quality sleep, decreased production of ATP-energy-, increased oxidative stress and free radicals, immune problems), but that excess of cortisol and decrease in oxytocin is what leads us to be more disconnected from ourselves and others on an emotional level.
When we achieve high levels of oxytocin, we can find within ourselves a greater state of calm, peace, and tranquility, and all these internal sensations are what help us to be fully healthy (there can be nothing better for our biochemistry than providing it with these internal states).
Close your eyes and try to imagine for a moment the last time you were able to enjoy a complete state of calm and tranquility, that moment when you don't need to be doing anything extraordinary to feel alive (that's a product of dopamine combined with cortisol), and when you can find happiness in anything in life, since you are fully connected with yourself and with what is happening around you.
At that moment there is no future or past, you are fully connected with the present because there is no stress that leads us to worry about what has happened or what has to happen.
All of this that I am explaining to you is provided by these two hormones; one leads us towards worry and the other leads us towards a state of connection with the present, and that is synonymous with connection with everything that is happening in our emotional life (both with ourselves and with others).
Therefore, if we manage to reduce cortisol levels, we will not only improve in all the aspects I have mentioned regarding physical health, but we will also be able to achieve a better emotional state, and that is something of vital importance today.
The adrenal axis and the circadian rhythm are everything; remember this every time you are about to undergo an approach, treatment, or therapy directed toward the symptom.
Now the big question: What can we do to ensure our circadian rhythm is in its best state of functional fullness?
Maintain regular schedules, including mealtimes, going to bed, and waking up.
We have a cellular intelligence in which, when we establish schedules and turn them into a routine, at those times our cells understand that they must carry out a series of metabolic processes because it is time to eat, go to sleep, or get up.
How many of you have been getting up at the same time for a long time, and on many occasions you don't even need to set an alarm because you wake up automatically?
Your body wakes you up because it understands that it is the moment; your incredible, adjusted, and balanced circadian rhythm is helping you to continue with those healthy lifestyle habits that will allow you to live many years in good health and quality of life.
The same applies to food; if you eat at the same times, your cells will produce enough gastric juices, hormones, and enzymes for the entire process to be as efficient and of the highest quality.
Irregular meal times and irregular sleep schedules are among the factors that most affect the circadian rhythm, disrupting the production of cortisol, dhea, melatonin, and oxytocin.
It provides all the substances that your adrenal axis and nervous system need to function properly.
Both the adrenal glands and the nervous system need certain substances and nutrients for all their functions to develop normally (production of hormones/neurotransmitters, transmission of the message of these hormones/neurotransmitters through cell receptors, metabolism and elimination of these metabolites, etc.). In other words, there are countless metabolic pathways related to this adrenal/nervous axis, in which enzymes are dependent on specific nutrients, and if only one of them is missing, an imbalance will occur in the body, a loss of homeostasis (internal balance).
What exactly should we give our body and mind to ensure our adrenal axis is in its best condition, thereby allowing the hormones that determine our circadian rhythm to be in their best possible state of regulation?
Below I detail the most important ones, which directly and indirectly help to regulate the adrenal axis:
- Vitamins: D, C, all B group (especially B3, B6, B12), P (antioxidants).
- Minerals: sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, selenium, lithium.
- Amino acids: Phenylalanine, tyrosine, glutamine, taurine, glycine.
- Water: H2O (there is nothing that causes more suffering to the adrenal axis and nervous system than a low degree of hydration.
Throughout my clinical experience, I have observed that many people were presenting insufficient levels of these substances, both from food and water.
The idea is to be able to follow a healthy diet rich in these nutrients, in order to provide everything we need at an adrenal level. The problem is that on many occasions (even with the best diet in the world) we do not reach the biochemical requirements, so the provision of supplementation will be essential to meet all those nutritional demands.
Regarding water, it is something I see more and more in patients and athletes, who are in a state of subclinical dehydration, and this greatly affects each and every one of our cells, and in particular the nervous system.
We drink little water, and what little we do drink is demineralized with a dry residue similar to distilled water; in other words, not only do we not hydrate enough, but we also don't get anything of interest from that water.
Do exercises that help balance your autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic).
That is the key to achieving a balanced adrenal axis, since one activity or another can lead to an increase in one or the other.
Throughout my clinical experience and my experience in the world of sports/martial arts, I have observed that many of the limitations in sports (low performance, fatigue, low energy, increased catabolism, etc.) stemmed from poor exercise planning.
The vast majority of people tend to believe that the more sport they do, the better, and often, excessive exercise can be even worse than a sedentary lifestyle. Below I will explain why, as well as the relationship that the adrenal axis has in sports activity.
There is a very fine line that separates what is beneficial from what is harmful, and this line is often easily crossed.
What substances are primarily produced when we exercise?
Adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, hormones that help us cope with the physical stress we are subjecting our body and mind to.
Our biochemistry cannot differentiate whether what you are doing in terms of activity is for pure pleasure or because you are in a fight or flight situation, so it sets in motion a series of reactions that prepare the body for war; this is the reality.
I have been able to see that just as emotional stress can lead to an adrenal imbalance, physical stress can similarly lead to that point, thereby affecting each and every part of the body.
Knowing what exercise or activity to do and the intensity with which to carry it out is the key to making sport beneficial and contributing to your improved health and quality of life.
Over the last two decades, I've observed how the vast majority of people try to reduce their life stress by focusing on sports, but not entirely positively, given that they were engaging in activities in a very intense way.
So, the big question would be: What kind of exercise or activity should I do to get my body and mind in the best condition, and that is also focused on adrenal health?
First of all, before talking about what type of activity would be appropriate, I would like to talk to you about what time of day would be a good time to exercise.
Our circadian rhythm is designed to carry out activity first thing in the morning, meaning that training or doing activity in the morning would be ideal.
It is a biochemical reality; our body produces cortisol in the morning in high quantities so that we can carry out the activity we need to do as best as possible.
From midday onwards, cortisol levels decrease so that melatonin can take over, especially in the late afternoon/evening.
This is the first point you should keep in mind; do sports or physical activity in the morning until 5 pm at the latest, after this time the body needs rest.
“It goes against our nature to do activities after that time, and I have been able to observe how many people who do sports in the afternoon and evening not only have their overall health affected, but also their sleep quality.
Now we would come to the type of activity, both what we should do, as well as the frequency and intensity.
Just as we don't all need the same type of food, the same is true when it comes to exercise. Find the type of exercise you need, as well as the intensity at which to do it, and that will be the foundation that leads to improved health.
In general terms, I would say that doing 1 to 1.5 hours of exercise per day (well planned and carried out) would be ideal, with short breaks of 1 minute between exercises, sets, or any type of movement that you see yourself doing.
It is very important to take those short breaks while doing the activity, because if we do not give our body the opportunity to rest a little, and to oxygenate ourselves well, we enter an anaerobic state in which not only will cortisol levels increase a lot, but we will also generate an increase in inflammation, oxidation and repercussions at the cellular level.
It's not bad to enter an anaerobic state (it's important and necessary), the problem is when you're entering it very frequently in short periods of time; there's nothing that punishes the adrenals more than that situation, since it understands that you're in a war and will put into action all the necessary mechanisms to face that battle.
This situation, day after day, leads to adrenal stress and, if sustained over time, to adrenal fatigue (what is called overtraining).
I'm seeing more and more people with stage 3 to 4 adrenal syndrome due to excessive exercise and intensity (a clear example would be what happens at the level of crossfit). Going into war mode for a day wouldn't be a problem, but if you do it constantly, your adrenals will pay the consequences.
In conclusion
So, I have been able to show you three crucial points to achieve adrenal balance: regular habits in terms of schedules, specific nutrients, as well as appropriate activity or exercise.
I would like to explain something I have observed in recent years, and it has to do with the therapeutic approach being used to improve the adrenal axis and thus reduce phase 3 of chronic stress, in which a large part of the population finds itself.
There has been no progress in this area; we have been using the same substances to improve stress for more than three decades, through adaptogenic plants (ashwagandha, rhodiolla, eleutherococcus, etc.), which are supposed to regulate our adrenal function, reduce stress, and improve the circadian rhythm.
I have observed that in more than 50% of people, these plants were not only not helping to reduce stress, but were also creating a burden on the liver's detoxification system, so they were providing something that was more harmful than beneficial.
When a person is under a very high level of stress, most of the time this situation is accompanied by an excess of toxins, which the liver must process in phases I and II.
If this person has high levels of toxins and is not metabolizing and eliminating them well, the last thing we should do is add another substance that generates a greater detoxification load; this is why adaptogenic plants are increasingly making people feel worse.
At the orthomolecular level, there are nutrients and substances that help regulate the function of the adrenal glands without generating a greater burden in that hepatic phase; moreover, they not only have a high adaptogenic potential (they will improve the circadian rhythm), but they also have the ability to improve these detoxification phases (Phase I and Phase II).
So, wouldn't it be smarter to provide everything necessary to achieve a balanced adrenal axis while also supporting the liver in its detoxification phases?
That's the key, and that's what I took into account when determining which substances would be suitable to achieve an optimal adrenal axis and a stable and balanced circadian rhythm.
After more than 13 years of clinical research and after realizing all of this that was happening, I made the decision to create a product that had a high adaptogenic potential, so that when a person took it, they could balance their adrenal axis, and that the hormones I explained earlier (cortisol, dhea, melatonin and oxytocin) would be in their best possible state.
We are biochemistry, and our biochemistry determines everything, even our emotions.
If you put all the cellular machinery that determines that biochemistry in order, your physical and mental health will be in its best state.
Remember everything you've read in this article, put into practice each and every one of the things I've explained, and you'll see how everything changes.
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