Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/541817
Too much cortisol causes abdominal obesity, high blood sugar ("adrenal diabetes"), muscle wasting, bone loss, immune shutdown, brain (hippocampus) atrophy, poor wound healing, thin wrinkled skin, fluid retention and hypertension. Excessive cortisol frequently causes increased fatigue/decreased energy, irritability, impaired memory, depressed mood, decreased libido, insomnia, anxiety, impaired concentration, crying, restlessness, social withdrawal and feelings of hopelessness. Chronically excess cortisol may contribute to many diseases, including cancer, ulcers, heart attacks, diabetes, infections, alcoholism, strokes, skin diseases, psychosis, and possibly Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis. Cortisol excess may contribute to obesity not only because of the metabolic derangements (including insulin resistance) that it promotes, but also because it induces "stress overeating," especially (but not only) in women. Stress (Cortisol) Management In an ideal world we would make life-long stress management an integral part of our daily life. We would sleep eight to nine hours nightly. We would take frequent mini-vacations from work to restore LHPA equilibrium. We would eat only nutritious foods, and avoid alcohol and stimulants such as caffeine, pseudoephedrine etc. We would utilize stress reduction techniques such as tai chi, meditation, quiet prayer, massage, etc. We would take brisk 30-to-60 minute walks daily in a pleasant, safe park. We would live in quiet homes without chronic noise stress from loud TVs, stereos, barking dogs, traffic, etc. Our air and water would be clean, and we wouldn't be subject to chemical stressors such as lead, mercury, fluoride, pesticides, "environmental estrogens," medical drugs, etc. Unfortunately, most of us are lucky if we can practice one or two aspects of such an integral stress management lifestyle. Anti-Cortisol Supplements Fortunately modern scientific research, drawing on ancient systems of medicine, has provided us with supplements that reduce excess cortisol and its many toxic effects. Relora® is a proprietary blend of a patented extract from Magnolia officinalis bark and a patent-pending extract from Phellodendron amurense bark, developed by Next Pharmaceuticals. For centuries Japanese Kampo medicine has used Magnolia bark in herbal remedies such as Saiboku-to to treat clinical depression, anxiety neurosis, insomnia, anxiety, hysteria, stroke and gastrointestinal complaints (all potentially caused by cortisol excess). Two Magnolia bark compounds, magnolol and honokiol, have been identified as the anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) agents in Saiboku-to. Unlike benzodiazepines such as Valium® they do not cause CNS depression, excessive muscle relaxation, amnesia or physical dependence. Relora is standardized to a certain level of mahnolol and honokiol. In an animal screening model, the two extracts used in Relora demonstrated anxiolytic activity without sedation. An acute toxicity study using 5,000 mg/kg revealed no significant side effects after 14 days of observation. An LD50 (the lethal dose for 50 percent of the test animals) was not able to be established because of the extreme non-toxicity of Relora. Relora®: Human Trials Fifty stressed people were given 200 mg Relora three times per day for two weeks. Post-trial analysis revealed that 82 percent found Relora effective in controlling stress-induced symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, irritability, emotional ups and downs, concentration difficulties and restlessness. Seventy-eight percent reported increased relaxation, while 74 percent had more restful sleep. No significant side effects were reported, Page 8| Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com