** Do you feel tired and worn out all the time, even though you're getting plenty of sleep? Do you crave salty foods? Maybe you've been to several doctors and none of them can say what's wrong with you.
If you see a naturopathic or a complementary medicine doctor, they might say that you have adrenal fatigue. Yet most traditional doctors say this condition isn’t real.
Many people who endure chronic stress may not realize that it puts additional strain on their adrenal glands by causing them to secrete extra hormones in the body, which in turn leads to all sorts of adverse conditions", said Dr. Karen Jensen, a naturopathic doctor and author of several books about stress and other health issues.
“Stress is the underlying cause of most disease,” she said. “There are more and more studies coming out every day on how stress causes inflammation that leads to heart disease, dementia, other memory problems, respiratory problems, asthma, allergies, gut problems, on and on.”
Jensen explained that the adrenal gland produces a variety of hormones, including cortisol which is a stimulating hormone. When it is under stress, it produces too much which fatigues the body and causes a cascade of health problems.
“There are a lot of common symptoms that people would have with adrenal stress,” Jensen said. “One of the big ones is fatigue. Anxiety is another one, as are depression, memory loss, the inability to concentrate, muscle weakness and a craving for stimulants. Insomnia is another big effect when the adrenals are secreting stress hormones like cortisol so the person can feel exhausted at night,” she said. “Of course, long-term stress can affect the immune system so people get a lot of colds and flus, so a lot of these things can be related to adrenal fatigue.”
There are lots of natural health products on the market which can help the body maintain balance regardless of the condition. Adrenal support supplements contain adaptogens (like, Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Schizandra, Rhodiola, Ginseng, Gotu Kola, Eleuthero, Licorice) which help balance and restore the body. “Adaptogens help blood sugar, they help the immune system, stamina, endurance and help the adrenal and other areas of the brain that are involved in stress response from getting overstimulated,” said dr. Karen Jensen
