If you’ve been reading about and/or living with menopause, you have probably come across discussions about cortisol. Along with estrogen, this hormone plays a significant role in how you experience menopause.

So what is this powerful hormone and how does it affect your body during this time of transition? Here’s the scoop.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is commonly referred to as a stress hormone because the body releases it into the bloodstream whenever you are stressed or anxious. It works in the brain to control fear, mood, and motivation. It also has other tasks, such as keeping inflammation down, controlling the sleep-wake cycle, regulating blood pressure, and raising blood glucose levels.

Both the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, which are located in the brain, sense when blood cortisol levels are normal. If levels drop too low, the brain lets the adrenal glands know to release more so balance is restored.

Read about 9 foods that calm your nerves (and mind)

However, if you are under chronic stress, cortisol levels can remain elevated and contribute or lead to health issues, such as headache, depression, heart disease, sleep problems, digestion issues, and problems with memory and concentration. 

Cortisol-Calm Deep Sleep Bundle 

How cortisol affects menopause

To understand how cortisol affects menopausal symptoms, it’s important to know that fluctuating hormones are the trigger. When hormones are always changing, so does how you respond to life’s stressors. You can experience mood swings, anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness, isolation, and fear.  

These emotional responses can also cause physical ones, such as digestion problems, an elevated heart or breathing rate, or changes in body temperature. But that’s not all that’s going on.

During perimenopause, when the body begins to reduce the amounts of the hormones it produces, another hormone whose level declines is progesterone. This hormone helps the body cope with stress. When its levels drop, cortisol’s impact is even greater. This situation can lead to adrenal fatigue.

Some of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are similar to those of perimenopause and menopause, such as insomnia, sugar and carb cravings, low libido, poor mood, bloating and gas, fatigue, weight, and fat gain (especially in the abdominal area), and aches and pains. 

What the research shows

Here’s an example of the impact of cortisol on menopause. In the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study, the investigators evaluated the cortisol levels of 132 women who were in perimenopause or early post-menopause. They found that cortisol levels rise gradually beginning around the late 40s and that this increase has both a psychological and physiological impact in menopause. For example, the increase affects sleep, bone density, memory loss, mood, hot flashes, and can be involved in the eventual development of heart disease and diabetes. 

How to reduce cortisol in menopause

You can take steps to reduce cortisol levels in menopause without medication. Here are a few tips.

• Establish healthy sleep patterns. For example, go to bed and get up at the same time every day, don’t use electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime, and establish relaxation routines before bedtime.
• Practice stress-reduction techniques every day, such as meditation, tai chi, yoga, progressive relaxation, and deep breathing exercises.
• Follow an anti-inflammatory diet, which means cutting out processed, fried, and fast foods, focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and seeds, and limit meat and dairy.
• Get both aerobic and strength-building exercise at least five days a week.
• Keep your blood sugar levels in balance through diet and exercise.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and recreational drugs.
• Consider supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and Lactium (which you can find in our Sleepus supplement).

Bottom line

Levels of the stress hormone cortisol naturally increase as women age, and they tend to be high during menopause. Their elevation coincides with the development of menopause, and the result can be a worsening of menopausal symptoms. Women can take measures to help alleviate these symptoms.

Cortisol-Calm Deep Sleep Bundle