Dr. Rodier recently told this kat that an estimated 90% of Americans suffer adrenal stress. Sheesh, those little glands atop your kidneys are working overtime to keep up with stressful lifestyles.

Aging, the economy, challenging relationships, job worries, sleep deprivation, pollution, physical ailments, poor nutrition all stress out your adrenals, so methinks a lot of our fair members may have undetected adrenal health issues.

If you haven’t heard much about ‘em, your adrenals are endocrine glands responsible for helping manage stress – whether physical, emotional, mental or relational.

The outer layer of your adrenal glands, called the adrenal cortex, produces hormones like cortisol, DHEA, estrogen, and testosterone. The center of your adrenal glands produces adrenaline.

Under normal circumstances, your adrenals regulate hormones and provide bursts of adrenaline during times of acute stress. Unfortunately, occasional acute stress is a thing of the past, and constant stress has become ubiquitous.

For example, it’s pretty amazing how much inflammation and stress is caused by routine encounters with alcohol, drugs, refined foods, environmental allergens, disease, infection, and autoimmune disorders.

Under chronic stress your system never gets time to rest properly, and over time this can mean adrenal fatigue, which can lead to common symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, fuzzy thinking, depression, cravings and mood swings.

If your adrenal function is low, your body also cannot respond and adapt properly to stress, which leads to more stress and thus more demands on your already overworked adrenals.

A vicious cycle begins, fair members.

Damages from Excessive Cortisol & Adrenal Burnout

Chronic stress requires your adrenals to pump out excessive levels of cortisol, which means no energy left over for hormonal regulation.

Sustained high cortisol levels can destroy healthy muscle and bone; slow down healing and normal cell regeneration; steal biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones; impair digestion, metabolism and mental function; interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken your immune system. Yikes!

Adrenal Function Changes with Age & Impacts Hormone Production

Interestingly, after mid-life, the adrenal glands gradually become the major source of sex hormones circulating throughout the body in both men and women.

These hormones have a whole host of physical, emotional and psychological effects, from sex drive to a tendency to gain weight in mid-life. So paying close attention to adrenal health as you age can make a big difference your well-being!

Getting Your Adrenals Back on Track

In addition to rest, rest, and more rest, there are several ways you can support adrenal repair and rejuvenation:

Good Nutrition – Cut adrenal stressors like caffeine, high-carb meals, and processed or irritating foods. Substitute with dense nutrition, omega-3 essential oils, and healthy fats and lean proteins.

Panax Ginseng – Well-recognized for supporting adrenal health and boosting the immune system, Panax ginseng also helps your body cope with stress. Ginseng ranks among Dr. Rodier’s most prescribed supplements as chronic stress and adrenal burnout exist at varying levels in most of his patients.

Constant Health – Loaded with minerals and immune boosters, Constant Health is a pick-me-up for anyone struggling with adrenal burnout. Designed with Dr. Rodier’s help, Constant Health’s low-allergy brown rice protein, low sugar content, and high-antioxidant content provides dense nutrition that supports healing.

B & C Vitamins – Often seen in stress-reducing formulas, both these vitamins support healthy adrenal function as well as basic cellular and metabolic functions.

DHEA – When your adrenals are worn out from pumping out cortisol, they simply can’t manufacture enough DHEA to support a healthy hormonal balance. A littel DHEA can go a long way to supporting your adrenals as you age.

THREE More Reasons You Don’t Want to Pass on Panax Ginseng:

Ginseng possesses extraordinarily diverse benefits, but here are a few you may not have heard about:

Weight loss - Ginseng contains the phytochemical saponins, which in addition to supporting healthy weight, have shown to support healthy blood cholesterol levels, bone health and stimulation of the immune system.

Hypotension (low blood pressure) - Low blood pressure can result from diabetes, heredity, medications, and more. Unfortunately, hypotension makes it hard for fresh, oxygen-rich blood to travel through your body and nourish your billions of little cells. Hypotension can mean cold hands and feet, and tingling limbs, faintness upon standing as well as symptoms caused by lack of blood to the extremities and head, respectively. Ginseng helps rev up your system and get your blood pumping.

Male Dysfunction - Dr. Rodier told this kat a little secret, that Ginseng plus L-Arginine offers the equivalent of a certain purple pill we know so many of our older male members covet. By opening blood vessels and increasing blood flow, all sorts of good things can happen.