The Body’s Response To Chronic Stress & Foods That Decrease Cortisol
What Is The Relationship Between Chronic Stress, Appetite and Weight?
Stress can have a number of effects on appetite and weight:
In some cases, stress can cause a loss of appetite, leading to weight loss. This is because:
Stress can interfere with the body's ability to digest and absorb nutrients, and
It can also increase the production of hormones like cortisol (known as the stress hormone) which triggers the “fight or flight” or survival response, during which the appetite is suppressed.
Cortisol plays a lot of important roles in your body:
It is released by the adrenal gland in response to a physical threat (like an injury) or a mental threat (like a deadline).
It helps regulate everything from sleep cycles and inflammation, to blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
However, chronic stress can lead to an increase in the production of cortisol in the body for a longer period of time:
Cortisol isn't fundamentally bad, it’s helpful in the short term, but being exposed to it for too long can lead to a chronic stress response which includes more anxiety, depression, fatigue and inflammation.
High cortisol levels can affect the body is by increasing appetite:
When cortisol levels are continuously high, the body is more likely to crave high-fat, high-sugar foods, which can provide a temporary sense of pleasure and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Over time, this can lead to weight gain, especially if the stress-induced increase in appetite is not balanced by more physical activity.
Chronic stress can also lead to changes in the way the body processes and stores fat, making it more likely to be stored in the abdominal area.
This can contribute to an increased risk of health problems such as higher blood pressure, a decreased immune system, higher chance of diabetes and heart disease.
How to Manage Stress? & Which Diets Affect Inflammation?
Managing stress involves a lot of things, a healthy work life balance, good boundaries, sleep, exercise, but changing what you eat can also have a big impact on your stress levels, and that’s because what you eat impacts cortisol levels.
When researchers explored how diet impacts cortisol, they found that people on a traditional Western diet (high fat, sugar, and carbs) had significantly higher cortisol levels than people who were eating more whole-foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and polyunsaturated fats.
An anti-inflammatory diet can counteract the impacts of cortisol since:
Inflammation is essentially a low-level stress response in the body, your immune system sends out macrophages and cytokines to kill off pathogens, but the side effect is that it also damages healthy tissue and leads to chronic stress on the body.
Inflammation also increases intestinal permeability or “leaky gut”, which allows bacteria into the bloodstream and triggers even more inflammation to counter it.
When we eat foods that cause inflammation, we essentially trigger that stress response in the body, but you can choose foods that lower cortisol, inflammation and the stress response.
Which Foods Naturally Decrease Cortisol in the Body?
The list of foods that lower Cortisol has a lot in common with the Mediterranean diet which has been found to be quite effective at decreasing inflammation; it’s been also shown to improve physical and mental health.
This is the list of foods that naturally decrease cortisol:
Foods high in B vitamins can help metabolize and burn off cortisol, especially those high in vitamin B12: organ meat, beef, chicken, eggs, nutritional yeast and cereals fortified in vitamin B12.
Foods high in Omega 3 reduce inflammation: Fish, salmon, mackerel, tuna, anchovies, herring, walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseed.
Foods rich in Magnesium relax muscles, reduces inflammation and metabolizes cortisol. Also helps regulate the heartbeat and decrease blood pressure.
When we are stressed, we excrete more magnesium in our urine which leads to low levels of magnesium in the bloodstream and intensifies stress even more creating a vicious cycle.
Thus, the importance of adding more magnesium to our diet to decrease anxiety and stress: Pumpkin seeds, almond, pistachios, broccoli, spinach, artichoke, bananas, avocado and even dark chocolate!
Foods that regulate blood sugar decrease cortisol: don’t get let yourself get too hungry and eat regular meals, and consume protein rich foods especially beans and legumes that have antioxidant properties.
Foods that promote healthy gut microbiome since most of the serotonin (happy hormone) in your body is in your gut. So, having good bacteria (probiotics) in the gut helps improve your mental health:
High fiber foods (prebiotics) and make sure you take a variety within your week: fruits, vegetables, whole-grains
Probiotics (good bacteria): live-cultured yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, kefir and sauerkraut
Stay well hydrated since dehydration is a stress on the body. Make sure you keep your urine color light and transparent yellow, except for the first time after you wake up as it is normal for it to be concentrated.
Making sure that you take those nutrients as part of whole-foods that are nutritionally dense and not just supplements, since the nutrients in foods are more diverse and complex and the gut health depends on the fibers from the whole-foods.
Moreover, limit foods that can increase cortisol: alcohol, caffeine, saturated fat, simple sugar, soft drinks, candy and simple carbs such as white breads. You can definitely have them in moderation as long as you are aware about how they affect your own mental and physical health.
To conclude, the link between chronic stress, cortisol, and appetite is complex; and the specific effects can vary depending on the individual and the situation.
However, chronic stress can lead to long-term changes in appetite and weight such as emotional eating, overeating and weight gain; which can negatively impact our physical and mental health.
Stress management needs a whole-body approach, but knowing what foods to include and limit supports controlling cortisol levels. Make sure you talk to your health-care provider (psychologist, dietitian or doctor) whenever you require support and guidance.
Stéphanie