Why Does Cushing's Syndrome  Have Similar Symptoms as Menopause?

Why Does Cushing's Syndrome Have Similar Symptoms as Menopause?

Why does Cushing’s Syndrome have similar symptoms as menopause?

Cushing's syndrome is a disorder that occurs when your body makes too much of the hormone cortisol over a long period of time.

Symptoms of both Cushing’s syndrome and menopause:

  • Weight gain
  • Fragile skin that bruises easily
  • Decreased sex drive
  • High blood pressure
  • Bone loss
  • High blood sugar
  • More body hair

What can we learn from Cushing’s syndrome?

  1. Excess Cortisol and Hot Flashes: Patients with Cushing's syndrome have excess cortisol, which suggests that hot flashes may also be a result of high cortisol.
  2. Hyperglycemia: Cushing's syndrome usually involves hyperglycemia. Cortisol affects sugar metabolism in the body. Studies in dogs suggest that intense stress can damage the insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas.
  3. High Prolactin: Prolactin increases cortisol production. It is a hormone made by the pituitary gland and serves as a marker of stress.

What can we do about high cortisol, high sugar levels, and high prolactin?

  • Consider gelatin-rich foods, like bone broth. The anti-inflammatory amino acids in gelatin oppose the excitatory effects of the tryptophan-serotonin-estrogen-prolactin system.
  • Remove stressors. Repeated small stress or overstimulation of insulin secretion can become amplified. Tryptophan and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can increase serotonin production, which in turn increases fat liberation.
  • Ditch industrial seed oils. In mice, a diet high in soybean oil induces obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. Animal research also suggests that canola oil may cause insulin resistance. Source 1 | Source 2
  • Take Vitamin A. Vitamin A has been shown to lower cortisol levels. In one study, five patients showed a 22–73% reduction in urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels, and three achieved full normalization. Study on Vitamin A and Cortisol
  • Eat natural sugars, not processed. Fruit and honey can help reduce cortisol. A rat study showed that sucrose helped regulate neuroendocrine responses during chronic stress. Rat Study on Sugar and Stress
  • Balance your hormones with the help of bioidentical hormones.
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