Adrenal Health
Your stress response command center. The adrenal glands sit atop your kidneys, producing cortisol, adrenaline, and DHEA. Modern life is burning them out.
What Your Adrenals Do
Cortex (Outer)
- Cortisol: Stress response, blood sugar, immune regulation
- Aldosterone: Sodium/potassium balance, blood pressure
- DHEA: Precursor to sex hormones, anti-aging
Medulla (Inner)
- Adrenaline (Epinephrine): Fight-or-flight, rapid stress response
- Noradrenaline: Alertness, focus, blood pressure
The HPA Axis: Your Stress System
Hypothalamus
Detects stress, releases CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone)
Pituitary
Responds by releasing ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)
Adrenal
ACTH signals adrenals to produce cortisol and adrenaline
When cortisol rises, it signals the hypothalamus to stop—negative feedback loop. Chronic stress breaks this loop.
⚠️ Stages of Adrenal Dysfunction
"Adrenal fatigue" isn't recognized by mainstream medicine, but HPA axis dysregulation is real. Here's how chronic stress progressively damages the system:
Stage 1: Alarm
- • Cortisol surges high
- • Feel wired, anxious
- • Trouble sleeping
- • Weight gain (especially belly)
- • High energy, but unsustainable
Stage 2: Resistance
- • Cortisol starts dropping
- • DHEA declining
- • Tired but wired
- • Afternoon energy crashes
- • Need caffeine/sugar to function
Stage 3: Exhaustion
- • Cortisol flatlined low
- • DHEA depleted
- • Profound fatigue
- • Can't handle any stress
- • Multiple system dysfunction
Signs of Adrenal Dysfunction
Energy
- • Fatigue that sleep doesn't fix
- • Afternoon crashes (2-4pm)
- • Second wind at night
- • Slow to start in morning
Sleep
- • Trouble falling asleep
- • Waking 2-4am
- • Unrefreshing sleep
- • Need alarm to wake up
Cravings
- • Salt cravings
- • Sugar/caffeine dependence
- • Carb cravings
Stress Response
- • Low stress tolerance
- • Easily overwhelmed
- • Slow recovery from illness
Blood Pressure
- • Low blood pressure
- • Dizziness on standing
- • Light-headed
Other
- • Brain fog
- • Low libido
- • Allergies worsening
âś… Supporting Adrenal Health
Reduce Stressors
Can't supplement your way out of chronic stress. Address root causes first.
Sleep Hygiene
In bed by 10pm. Adrenals repair during sleep. No screens before bed.
Blood Sugar Stability
Every blood sugar crash triggers cortisol. Protein with every meal. Avoid sugar.
Vitamin C
Adrenals have highest concentration in body. Depleted rapidly by stress. 1-3g daily.
Magnesium
Anti-stress mineral. Depleted by cortisol. Most people need supplementation.
B Vitamins
Especially B5 (pantothenic acid) and B6. Essential for adrenal hormone production.
Adaptogens
Ashwagandha, rhodiola, eleuthero help modulate stress response.
Salt
Low aldosterone = salt cravings. Quality sea salt may help if craving salt.
Morning Sunlight
Sets cortisol rhythm. 10-20 minutes of morning sun helps normalize HPA axis.
🧪 Testing Adrenal Function
4-Point Cortisol Test
Saliva cortisol at 4 times throughout the day. Shows the rhythm, not just a single point. Should be highest in morning, lowest at night.
DUTCH Test
Comprehensive hormone test including cortisol metabolites, cortisone, and cortisol rhythm. More detailed than saliva testing.
DHEA-S Blood Test
DHEA-S is an adrenal marker. Low levels suggest adrenal insufficiency or chronic stress.
Morning Cortisol
Blood cortisol at 8am. Less useful alone but can indicate severe dysfunction if very low.
Metabolic Connections
Cortisol
Primary stress hormone produced by the adrenals
Thyroid
Adrenal and thyroid function are deeply interconnected
Magnesium
Rapidly depleted by stress—most people are deficient
Vitamin C
Highest concentration in the body is in the adrenals
Blood Sugar
Cortisol regulates blood sugar—adrenal fatigue disrupts this
Sleep
Cortisol should be low at night—dysregulation causes insomnia