In the realm of medicine, there has been talk of a condition called "adrenal fatigue" or "AF" that supposedly arises from prolonged exposure to stressful circumstances. However, it is important to note that no Endocrinology society has acknowledged the existence of this condition, stating that there is a lack of concrete evidence. To delve deeper into this matter, the purpose of this comprehensive review is to determine if there is any substantial proof supporting the concept of "AF."
In today's world, it has become a regular occurrence for us to recognize the telltale indications of chronic stress within ourselves. We can effortlessly detect the weariness, the low spirits, the constant headaches, and the frequent illnesses, whether they manifest in our own bodies or in the people close to us. Whenever we observe our loved ones, friends, or coworkers teetering on the edge of a breaking point, where stress evolves into enduring burnout, we take it upon ourselves to remind them that bearing an overwhelming load can have tangible consequences on their physical well-being.
The concept of stress in the field of biology didn't gain widespread recognition until the 1950s. However, its initial introduction in a medical context dates back to 1936, when it was featured in the esteemed science journal Nature under the title "A Syndrome Produced by Diverse Nocuous Agents." Hans Selye, a renowned Hungarian-Canadian endocrinologist often revered as the "father of stress," conducted groundbreaking experiments with laboratory rats in Montreal. Through his meticulous research, he unveiled a fascinating revelation - any form of stimulation or stress triggered a similar chain reaction in the rats. Astonishingly, it was not disease that proved fatal to the rats, but rather the stress itself. This serendipitous finding occurred while Selye was investigating ovarian hormones.
“I found that injections of the ovarian hormone stimulated the outer tissue of the adrenal glands of the rats, caused deterioration of the thymus glands and produced ulcers and other symptoms,” Dr. Selye once wrote in The New York Times. ”The rats died. Later I found that any artificial hormone compounds and stresses and any kind of damage did the same thing.”
Initially, his groundbreaking work went unnoticed as a game-changer. The prevailing belief was that each disease had its own unique pathology, end of story. However, Selye shattered this notion by uncovering that stress played a role in every illness, sometimes even a crucial one. He introduced the idea of the general adaptation syndrome, comprising three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. By 1950, he had completely transformed the field by identifying this array of responses as stress.
Did You Know? We Have Free Email News & Tips
Sign up to the above email list to receive more free updates.
Adrenal fatigue, also known as adrenal insufficiency or burnout, refers to the under-functioning of the adrenal gland. In the 19th century, it was called neurasthenia or adrenal neurasthenia, and it was frequently diagnosed as a chronic fatigue condition. There are also subclinical forms such as hypo-adrenal or non-addison’s hypoadrenia. Addison’s disease, on the other hand, represents complete adrenal failure. People often refer to adrenal fatigue as adrenal burnup, burnout, or adrenal stress. Surprisingly, adrenal fatigue is one of the most common hormone imbalances in the 21st century, yet it is often overlooked by medical doctors.
Dr. Hans Selye, a renowned physician and endocrinologist, is known as the great Canadian father of stress. He developed his famous theory on the influence of stress on people's ability to cope and adapt to injury and disease. He referred to this collection of symptoms as "the stress syndrome." Stress, in general, is the body's non-specific response to any demand placed on it.
Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal gland functions sub-optimally in various states, including rest, stress, and in response to physiological demands or challenges. Unfortunately, blood tests (which are very limited "snap shots in time" compared to other more accurate tissue testing) primarily focus on adrenal failure or Addison's disease, rather than adrenal fatigue. As a result, proper diagnosis and treatment for adrenal fatigue are often lacking, even when the signs and symptoms are present.
Hans Selye, the pioneer of stress research, introduced the concept of stress and won the Nobel Prize 17 times -- and yet his research and results are still not accepted by the medical bureaucracy at least in the Western world.
Hans Selye, the pioneer of stress research, introduced the concept of stress and won the Nobel Prize 17 times. During his time as an endocrinologist in the mid-1900s, Selye observed that individuals with chronic illnesses exhibited similar symptoms. Through his experiments on rats, he discovered that regardless of the type of stress imposed, the rats developed a common set of symptoms.
This led to the development of The General Adaptation Syndrome. Selye's groundbreaking work culminated in his book, The Stress of Life, published in 1956, which laid the foundation for our understanding of Adrenal Fatigue, also known as Stress Response Dysfunction.
Please donate to the "Pay It Forward" Campaign
This donation will help others obtain individualized help who can't afford it.
Selye's work may not be flawless, as his theories have faced challenges. However, the core concept he introduced still stands strong today. Thanks to his work, we now have a wealth of research on stress and adrenal function at our disposal.
4 zones that trigger stress: There are four main zones that can trigger stress.
1. The physical zone involves injuries from sports or accidents, as well as medical conditions like high temperatures.
2. The metabolic zone deals with issues related to cellular nutrition, chemical substances, infections, and toxicity.
3. The mental, emotional, and spiritual zone is influenced by the adrenal glands in the first two years of life, focusing on survival and self. Interruptions or stressors during this time can impact adrenal system development.
4. Lastly, the electromagnetic zone is often underestimated as a stress factor. The adrenal glands struggle to cope with the overall stress levels in an individual. Stressors add up and can contribute to the overall stress experienced, whether positive or negative. Each person has a unique ability to handle stress, but when overwhelmed, signs and symptoms may start to show. On top of the kidneys sits the adrenal cortex, acting as the outer layer, while the inner layer is referred to as the medulla.
The HPA axis, also referred to as the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis, is responsible for regulating the body's response to stress. Irrespective of the stressor, the hypothalamus plays a vital role in receiving and integrating stress signals from all four stressor zones. Once these signals are centralized in the hypothalamus, it sends a signal known as cortical releasing hormone to the pituitary gland.
This triggers the release of adrenal corticotropic hormone (ACTH), which then signals the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine and the adrenal cortex to release cortisol. At the same time, glycogen is converted into blood glucose, which acts as a signal for the increasing levels of cortisol. Consequently, the heart rate increases due to the effects of epinephrine, while cortisol leads to an elevation in sweating. Moreover, both cortisol and epinephrine contribute to a rise in muscle tension.
The muscles receive a surge of blood (which is a connective tissue) as the digestion process slows down. This phenomenon is known as the fight or flight response, a well-known immediate reaction. Now, let's delve into the concept of adrenal fatigue progression, as explained by Dr. Hans Selye, a renowned Canadian researcher in stress and the adrenal system.
1. Stage 1: Alarm
In the first stage, which is a significant reaction, the body prepares for fight or flight. The thyroid releases more ACTH, which stimulates the adrenals to respond to stress. This leads to an increase in epinephrine and cortisol, while DHEA decreases. The decrease in DHEA occurs because it is utilized to produce cortisol in the body's cycle. Cortisol is crucial for the body to cope with stress, but if stress persists over time, the body may struggle to keep up with the demand for cortisol. Initially, a healthy adrenal gland would be able to meet the cortisol requirements. However, if stress becomes chronic or repetitive, the body may face difficulties in producing enough cortisol, leading to what is known as the early fatigue stage.
2. Stage 2: resistance response stage
Stage two is commonly known as the resistance response stage, where the adrenal glands struggle to cope with chronic or severe stress. The production of cortisol fluctuates, returning from high levels back to normal, while the level of ACTH remains constant. However, due to adrenal exhaustion, less cortisol is produced. When we measure cortisol levels over a 24-hour period, we often observe low levels in the morning and afternoon, but a normal level in the evening. This is because the adrenals cannot keep up with the demand during the daytime. Cortisol levels consistently remain low in the morning, noon, and afternoon, but return to normal in the evening.
Now, let's delve deeper into the hormone pathway. We come across a phenomenon known as Pregnenolone steal, where cortisol takes priority. Cortisol becomes the dominant pathway, leading to a decrease in the production of other hormones such as DHEA, Pregnenolone, testosterone, and estrogen. In this pathway, cholesterol sits at the top and is converted into Pregnenolone. Pregnenolone can then split into progesterone and cortisol. The adrenals indicate that this is where the Pregnenolone steal or cortisol shunt occurs. By examining where the different hormones are produced, we can see that Pregnenolone is converted at the adrenal level. In the liver, cortisol is further converted into cortisol. Depending on the individual's sex, the right-hand pathway of DHEA is converted into various male and female hormones. When the cortisol cycle becomes dominant, it has a negative impact on the production of other hormones.
The General Adaptation Syndrome by Dr. Hans Selye
The General Adaptation Syndrome encompasses three primary stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. These stages can be likened to the initial, intermediate, and final phases of Adrenal Fatigue.
During the alarm phase, the body releases an overflow of stress hormones, leading to a continuous activation of the fight or flight response, resulting in symptoms that mirror this reaction.
Diagnosing is difficult, and most doctors will then treat symptoms rather than addressing the root cause.
The individual patient's ep-genetic predisposition (not solely "genetics") plays a significant role in determining the manifestation of these symptoms. In the resistance phase, some individuals may experience a leaning towards depression, whereas others may lean towards anxiety. While some patients may retain their libido, many others may completely lose these functions. The perplexing nature of the resistance phase often leaves physicians puzzled. The symptoms presented can vary greatly from day to day and from patient to patient. Consequently, diagnosing becomes challenging, leading most doctors to focus on treating the symptoms rather than tackling the underlying cause.
The last stage of Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome: Exhaustion
During this period, exhaustion becomes evident through symptoms like tiredness, aches, sadness, persistent worry, mental haziness, forgetfulness, and cognitive difficulties. Weight gain, blood sugar fluctuations, and decreased stamina for physical activities also intensify. As the adrenal hormones are drained in this stage, the person experiences deficiencies in various hormones, metabolic processes, vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. Moreover, individuals will observe a deterioration of the symptoms from the initial Alarm phase, coupled with new challenges such as increased allergies and asthma, autoimmune disorders, leaky gut and intestinal candidiasis, food sensitivities, infertility, difficult menopausal transitions, and osteoporosis.
The insidious Consequences of Adrenal Fatigue
The long-term consequences of a consistently activated stress response can result in a variety of symptoms, including heightened oxidative stress, impaired mitochondrial function, issues with methylation, and compromised detoxification. It is imperative to address these effects as they can exacerbate if not properly treated. Countless individuals have already sought assistance from different experts and undergone multiple examinations, only to be provided with temporary relief through medications. It is crucial to acknowledge the dysfunction in the stress response as the underlying cause in order to genuinely restore the patient's well-being.
Why Conventional Medicine Rejects Adrenal Fatigue
More than half of adults will experience Adrenal Fatigue at some point in their lives. While many will bounce back without even realizing they had the syndrome, a few will struggle to fully recover, and a small minority will continue to decline. In its most extreme form, it can render a person bedridden and unable to carry out daily tasks. Despite being dismissed by many conventional medicine practitioners, Adrenal Fatigue is a real condition that can greatly affect those afflicted by it.
Modern laboratory and detection methods have their limitations and may not be sensitive enough to identify early warning signs of danger. While modern medicine and its various tests are highly effective in identifying severe symptoms and obvious system failures, such as chest pain, brain dysfunction, or the presence of a lump, they often fall short in detecting the subtle signs of aging and multiple diseases in seemingly healthy adults.
These subtle signs of aging, which encompass conditions like borderline hypertension, sub-optimal adrenal function, hormonal imbalances, reduced liver detoxification capacity, impaired gastric assimilation potential, metabolic imbalances, and sugar intolerance, cannot be easily detected through physical examinations or standard laboratory tests. Regrettably, these conditions are often unfamiliar to conventionally trained western physicians, who primarily focus on diagnosing diseases based on visible pathology.
The conventional belief in medicine is that Adrenal Fatigue is not a real condition because there are no definitive tests to diagnose it. Similarly, there is a parallel situation for patients who exhibit classic symptoms of hypothyroidism but have normal laboratory test results. The most common test used to rule out hypothyroidism is TSH, and a higher TSH number indicates a higher likelihood of hypothyroidism.
However, for many years, the normal range for TSH was set at 0.5-5.0, which meant that individuals with clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism and TSH levels below 5.0 were not treated and suffered unnecessarily. In early 2003, the range was revised to 0.3-3.0, leading to a change in the classification of individuals with TSH levels between 3.0 and 5.0 as hypothyroid. Previously, these patients were considered normal and sent home without treatment. The justification for dismissing their symptoms as normal was solely based on their TSH test results.
"Conventional medicine" will eventually accept many concepts
The core difference between conventional medicine and systems biology-oriented physicians regarding adrenal weakness lies in how they interpret data. Systems biology physicians and practitioners (and there are many names for them including "natural") oriented physicians focus on clinical presentation and soft laboratory test results to make their case, seeing these as sufficient evidence.
On the other hand, conventional medicine leans more on testing rather than clinical presentation, dismissing Adrenal Fatigue due to not meeting their standards. Both sides mean well, but their perspectives on the same data differ. It often takes decades for new discoveries to be embraced by mainstream medicine, usually after successful trials, education, and dissemination of information. Eventually, conventional medicine will likely accept Adrenal Fatigue, just as it did with the free radical theory proposed by Dr. Linus Pauling in the 1950s, which took 40 years to gain recognition.
In the meantime: are you experiencing these symptoms? Balancing the adrenals is the top treatment for the endocrine system
To kickstart the process of revitalizing your body and facilitating the restoration of damaged cells, it is imperative to supply it with the fundamental "building blocks" in optimal, frequent amounts rather than guessing or assuming because it's some kind of "natural substance or food" that it's good enough -- chances are it's nowhere near enough. These essential elements are pivotal in empowering your body to naturally rejuvenate your weary adrenal glands. However, it is of utmost importance to undergo a personalized evaluation rather than relying on generic methods often encountered online, in print, or through media outlets that endorse supplements and unidentified "superfoods" without taking into account the precise dosages and individual needs of your body.
Links between adrenal system and other body systems
Underactive Adrenals:
Underactive adrenals and an underactive stomach are commonly seen together. The two are interconnected. When adrenals are underactive, it leads to STRESS, impacting the digestive system. Adrenals play a role in our stress response, be it physical, emotional, or psychological. Stress triggers the 'fight or flight' response, releasing adrenocortical hormone in the bloodstream. In today's society, we rarely face situations where we need to 'fight or flight', causing constant adrenal hormone fluctuations that eventually exhaust the glands. This exhaustion results in symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, digestive issues, irritability, depression, heart disease, PMS, menopausal symptoms, and more.
Causes:
The absence of essential nutrients such as vitamin C, pantothenic acid, potassium, B12, vitamin E, and choline, combined with excessive consumption of sugar and refined grains, as well as alcohol, sugar, nicotine, and caffeine, can temporarily disguise the symptoms of underactive adrenals. However, in reality, these substances significantly contribute to the worsening of the condition.
Effects:
- "Sensitive to bright lights, headlights, and sunlight, my eyes often feel overwhelmed by their intensity."
- "Under stress, I experience a tightness or a "lump" in my throat, which can be quite uncomfortable."
- "Gooseflesh easily forms on my skin, and I sometimes experience "cold sweats" when faced with anxiety-inducing situations."
- "Unexpected noise easily startles me, causing me to feel shaken up and on edge."
- "My blood pressure tends to fluctuate, occasionally dropping to levels that are too low."
- "Being a perfectionist, I set high standards for myself and strive for excellence in everything I do."
- "To alleviate worries, I often engage in activities that help me work through them, as leaving things undone causes me concern."
- "Mood swings and a tendency to cry easily are aspects of my emotional makeup."
- "Relaxing is a challenge for me, as I often find it difficult to unwind and let go of stress."
- "I have an unusual craving for salt, which I find myself indulging in more often than not."
- "Excessive perspiration, particularly in my hands and feet, is something I frequently experience."
- "When transitioning from a lying position to a standing position, my blood pressure tends to decrease."
Recommendations:
The most effective way to address underactive adrenals is through effective stress management. Stress is the feeling of helplessness in the face of a particular situation. Often, the fear of taking appropriate action plays a significant role. The connection between the mind and body is most apparent when it comes to the adrenals. Various emotional states impact the production of adrenal hormones, including anxiety, fear, and anger, which stimulate the adrenals to release hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine, and glucocorticoids. Additionally, emotions such as defeatism, feeling overpowered, neglecting oneself, self-disapproval, and self-anger also affect adrenal function. Engaging in moderate physical exercise, practicing meditation, yoga, and breath work are all effective methods for relieving stress.
Food sources:
Stress management includes a wholesome intake of nutrient-wealthy foods, including many vitamin B- rich foods, and avoidance of sugars and sweets.
Supplementation:
Supplementation of vitamin C, B-complex including pantothenic acid, potassium , vitamin E and choline is recommended. However, how do you know all the details as to what your body, especially your thyroid mentioned here, doesn't have blockages, synergists, antagonists interfering with the proper functioning of it that interacts with your whole body? The problem is you don't until you obtain a proper assessment that you can obtain from this website.
Over-active adrenal system:
Before they become underactive (as above), adrenal glands tend to show over activity as a result of excessive stress. This symptom should be approached in the same fashion as underactive adrenals.
References:
https://drandrewneville.com/hans-selyes-general-adaptation-syndrome/
