Adrenal Fatigue Can Impact Your Life - Wize Nutrition Therapy

Don’t Let Adrenal Fatigue Impact Your Life

Posted February 28, 2019 in Nutrition 2059 0 0

The term “Adrenal Fatigue” was formulated in 1998 by a naturopathic doctor, James
Wilson, Ph.D. This syndrome was explained as a collection of related symptoms
caused by insufficient adrenal gland function.

In other words, when the adrenal glands operate inadequately, complications arise
and Adrenal Fatigue syndrome can develop. Usually, the onset of adrenal fatigue is
attributed to prolonged stress and chronic infections due to hormonal changes,
immune response, and metabolic changes.

Those suffering may not present any physical signs of illness but will still feel generally
fatigued, have trouble cognitively, and experience strong food cravings. Sleep does
not solve this exhaustion, so it is common to see an increase in the intake of coffee,
sugar, and other stimulants to sustain energy throughout the day. Unfortunately, this
is counterproductive for adrenal fatigue.

We will be going over more detail on how these habits affect this complicated
phenomenon throughout this presentation.
But first… What do the adrenals even do?

The adrenal glands are two glands located above the kidneys and are made of two
different parts. Both are responsible for hormone production but differ greatly.

The Adrenal Cortex
The adrenal cortex produces hormones (such as cortisol and aldosterone) that are
essential for life. Cortisol works to regulate our metabolism, immunity, and stress
response, while aldosterone helps control blood pressure and proper cardiovascular
function.

The Adrenal Medulla
The adrenal medulla produces non-essential hormones or ones that are not vital for
life. This does not mean that this component of the adrenals is not important,
however. In fact, the adrenal medulla is incredibly valuable for dealing with physical
and emotional stress and contributes to our fight-or-flight response of our
parasympathetic nervous system. The most notable chemical messenger produced in
this part of the adrenals is adrenaline.
The adrenal glands also produce the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone as well as various neurotransmitters such as dopamine.

When the proper production of these hormones are disrupted, adrenal fatigue can
develop.

Because of the multitude of responsibilities these little glands have, adrenal fatigue
can manifest very differently depending on the individual.