Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE Cortisol, known as a stress hormone, plays a vital role in our health but can lead to severe health issues like muscle breakdown, inflammation, and impaired immune function when chronically elevated. Understanding cortisol’s dual feedback mechanisms in the brain and body is essential Long-duration, high-intensity exercises like long-distance running can inadvertently increase the body’s cortisol levels, pushing the body into a chronic stress state An enzyme called 11?-HSD1, present in most body tissues, is central to producing cortisol and becomes the focus for understanding and potentially treating elevated cortisol levels linked to metabolic diseases
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