Dr. Saira Hameed

We've got to get the cortisol down.

There's this idea that when cortisol is up for too long, it can make us unwell.

Now, to clarify, Mike, there is a pathological condition where the body overproduces cortisol, a condition called Cushing's, and a patient can be very, very unwell.

That's not what we're talking about here.

We're talking about day-to-day life and can you sort of produce enough, slightly too much cortisol that it's affecting your health because you're stressed all the time.

And the answer is possibly.

But what I want to say is this, that there is no supplement or tonic or elixir you can take to reduce your cortisol level.

And actually, what you need to do is look at the root cause, which is the stress.

And how do you manage the stress?

And very old fashioned, I suppose, approach.

But there's a reason why this sort of age old wisdom goes down the generations.

It's things like

getting an early night, keeping the body moving, spending time with family and friends, people you love, and do it in real life.

Don't do it through a screen or digital communication.

These things will reduce your stress levels, potentially.

I don't want to rose-tint things for your listeners and say that this is the magic solution.

It depends what the stress is.

But the idea that cortisol is a baddie is wrong, and I'll tell you why.

Because

When you don't have enough cortisol in a condition called Addison's disease, you are very, very sick.