Using Ashwagandha to Help Lower Cortisol Levels and Manage Stress

Our modern lifestyle presents us with many opportunities to over-stress and worry. Many of us operate our daily lives in a state of chronic stress without even being aware of this and the harm it can do to our health.

How and why does stress cause so much damage to our overall well-being? Cortisol.

Cortisol is the primary stress hormone, which increases glucose in the bloodstream and enhances your brain’s use of glucose and the availability of substances to repair tissues. Cortisol plays a critical role in the functioning of your metabolism by helping to modulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Fortunately, we have many natural and holistic options to help alleviate stress, including an herb that has been successfully used in Ayurveda for thousands of years: ashwagandha.

What is cortisol?

Prolonged, chronic stress typically results in chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Long-term cortisol levels are strongly correlated with abdominal obesity. Normal levels of cortisol are necessary to our health, but too much cortisol for extended periods can have negative consequences.