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

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

Raena

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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