Cortisol and Weight Gain – Wondering Why You Can’t Lose Belly Fat? Here is the Answer

Cortisol seems to be the new “buzzword’ in the world of nutritional studies. As it turns out chronic stress and dieting in particular can increase the level of cortisol in the body. This, in turn, results in the accumulation of fat in the midsection of the body. The relationship between cortisol and weight gain is the reason why so many people do no respond well to diet and exercise. Even if they follow a diet plan religiously, they still find losing belly fat extremely difficult. Here are some facts that will throw light on the relationship between cortisol and weight gain.

1 What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone that is produced in the adrenal gland in response to all kinds of stress. Cortisol has various functions in the body including proper glucose metabolism, regulation of blood pressure, insulin release for blood sugar maintenance, immune function, inflammatory response. The level of cortisol in the body experiences daily fluctuations-it is higher in the morning and lower at night.

2 What happens when the level of cortisol gets too high?

If you are constantly under stress, the cortisol level in your body can get very high. High cortisol level can have very damaging effect on your body. Normally it result in blood sugar imbalance, decreased bone density, high blood pressure, muscle breakdown. Last but not least increased levels of cortisol result in the deposition of the visceral abdominal fat also known as belly fat.

3 What is the connection between cortisol and belly fat?

Unlike “regular" fat that is stored under the skin, visceral abdominal fat is stored deeper in the abdominal cavity and around the internal organs. Also unlike regular fat, visceral fat has more blood supply as well as more receptors for cortisol. In other words there is a close connection between the accumulation of visceral fat and the levels of cortisol present in the body. Visceral fat is particularly unhealthy because it is a risk factor for heart disease and certain type of diabetes.

4 What happens with cortisol when we diet?

Dieting is a stressful experience for most people. That’s why the adrenal glands start producing more cortisol when a person is under strict diet. More cortisol, however , triggers the accumulation of more belly fat in the body. The presence of cortisol makes losing belly fat almost impossible. The connection between cortisol and belly fat is the reason that so many people under diet can’t get the desired results.

The link between cortisol and weight gain sheds new light on the question of proper dieting. Keeping cortisol levels within the normal range when under diet is the only way to secure belly fat removal.

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