How Stress Messes With Your Metabolism + How To Fix It, According To An RD

I've talked in depth about the role of stress on your digestion and how stress and anxiety can affect gut health and microbiome balance, but here, I am going to focus on hormones. So, let's dive in.

Unfortunately, in our modern lifestyle, stressors are plentiful and constant. This is where we start to see the influence of chronic stress on hormone balance. 

Hormones serve as regulatory substances, providing stimulation or repression of signals based on receptor function and balance in the body. Our metabolism, sleep, sexual hormone function, and mood are all influenced by the hormone regulation of our autonomic nervous system and balance of our HPA-axis. Chronic stress can disrupt hormone regulation and cause major metabolic consequences.

The body has these mechanisms at play because if you were in a survival situation, say running from a predator, it would not be a good time to burn calories. However, the chronic stressors we are now battling are often not physical, which can drive weight gain and sluggish metabolism.

Cortisol does have some beneficial properties, like serving to reduce inflammation5 and enhance survival. But when chronically elevated, it can drive blood sugar imbalance and weight gain.

Leptin generally tells the body when it is fed, supporting healthy metabolism. In a chronically stressed state, though, the body can become resistant to the signaling of leptin6, leading to overeating and weight gain.

Essentially, if the body is under chronic stress, it will prioritize survival, not regulation. This is why stress can be heavily linked to fertility struggles. The body wants to feel safe to ensure it can support the growth and development of a child. When a woman is chronically stressed, estrogen can be suppressed8. In men, testosterone can be inhibited by stress9, driving impotence and loss of libido.

Using a food-as-medicine approach to support your body's stress response will also favorably influence the metabolism. The foods below all have an ability to influence thyroid, blood sugar, metabolic, or sexual hormone balance while serving to balance your mood and support stress resilience:

Seaweed is rich in iodine, an essential mineral for thyroid hormone production, and magnesium, to provide neuromuscular relaxation. Seaweed is also rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that is used to make serotonin, serving to regulate mood and reduce stress response.

Citrus is a great source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that is most concentrated in the adrenal glands. Vitamin C plays a role in the regulation of cortisol metabolism and production. The incorporation of citrus also provides anti-inflammatory and antihistamine bioflavonoids, such as hesperidin, rutin, and quercetin, to synergistically work with cortisol to reduce excess demands. 

Flax is rich in the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which can be stored in adipose tissue. ALA influences the expression of hormones on fat cells, like leptin10, supporting healthy appetite regulation. Flax has also been shown to favorably improve insulin resistance11.

Broccoli is rich in indole-3-carbinol (I3Cs)12, which can favorably modulate the metabolism of estrogen, reducing dominance or excess while providing antioxidant effects. As a source of chromium and fiber in the diet, broccoli can also aid in blood sugar regulation and reduced insulin resistance. Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, also provide a source of sulfur in the diet, which promotes detoxification and reduces inflammation.

The main compound in turmeric, curcumin, is an anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting antioxidant that can reduce oxidative stress in the body and brain. Thus, it reduces chronic stress impact and the need for continued cortisol demands. Curcumin boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels13, which can aid in mood stability and stress tolerance.