How Does Chronic Stress Suppress Your Metabolism?
How Does Chronic Stress Suppress Your Metabolism?
TL;DR
Chronic stress raises cortisol. High cortisol suppresses thyroid, breaks down muscle, disrupts sleep, and causes belly fat storage. But stress isn't just psychological—PUFAs cause physiological stress response. Eliminate PUFAs. Support thyroid. Manage stressors. Cortisol normalizes. Metabolism recovers.
You're stressed.
Work. Family. Money. Health. All of it.
You can't relax. Always on edge. Can't sleep. Craving sugar constantly. Gaining weight around your belly despite eating less.
Your doctor said to reduce stress. Meditate. Do yoga. Take vacations.
You tried. Didn't help. Still stressed. Still tired. Still gaining weight.
The problem isn't just psychological stress. Your metabolism is stuck in survival mode.
Stress is like an alarm that won't turn off. Initially protective. Eventually destructive. Your body can't tell the difference between a deadline and a lion.
What Cortisol Does
Cortisol is your stress hormone.
In acute stress (helpful):
- Raises blood sugar (provides quick energy)
- Increases alertness
- Mobilizes fat for fuel
- Suppresses inflammation temporarily
You escape danger. Cortisol drops. You recover.
In chronic stress (destructive):
- Cortisol stays elevated 24/7
- Blood sugar stays high (insulin resistance develops)
- Thyroid suppresses (metabolism slows)
- Muscle breaks down (catabolism)
- Sleep disrupts
- Belly fat accumulates
This is metabolic damage.
How Cortisol Suppresses Thyroid
High cortisol blocks T4-to-T3 conversion.
Your thyroid makes T4 (inactive form). Your cells convert T4 to T3 (active form). T3 drives metabolism.
Cortisol interferes:
- Reduces conversion enzyme activity
- Increases reverse T3 (inactive, blocks T3 receptors)
- Lowers metabolic rate
Result:
- Temperature drops
- Energy plummets
- Weight gain despite eating less
- Brain fog
- Mood worsens
This is why stressed people have low thyroid symptoms despite "normal" labs.
PUFAs Cause Chronic Stress Response
PUFAs aren't just dietary fat. They're stored in your tissues. When oxidized, they trigger stress response.
- Damage mitochondria (less energy production)
- Trigger inflammation (chronic immune activation)
- Reduce ATP (cells perceive energy crisis)
- Activate stress pathways (cortisol rises)
Your body doesn't distinguish:
- Psychological stress (deadline, argument)
- Physiological stress (oxidized PUFAs, low glucose, inflammation)
Both raise cortisol. Both suppress thyroid.
Eliminate PUFAs. Physiological stress drops. Even if life stress remains, your body handles it better.
The Cortisol-Insulin-Fat Storage Cycle
High cortisol raises blood sugar. Your body thinks you need quick energy. Liver dumps glucose into bloodstream.
Insulin rises to handle glucose. Chronic high insulin = insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance + high cortisol = belly fat. Cortisol specifically promotes visceral fat storage (around organs). This is why stressed people gain weight in their midsection.
More belly fat = more inflammation. Fat tissue releases inflammatory cytokines. Inflammation worsens insulin resistance. Cycle continues.
Break the cycle: Fix metabolism. Cortisol normalizes. Insulin sensitivity improves. Belly fat reduces.
Types of Stress That Suppress Metabolism
Psychological stress:
- Work pressure, relationship conflict, financial worry
- Raises cortisol acutely
- Chronic stress = chronic cortisol
Physical stress:
- Overtraining
- Undereating
- Poor sleep
- Chronic pain or illness
Metabolic stress:
All of these raise cortisol. All suppress thyroid.
You can meditate all you want. If you're eating seed oils, overtraining, and undereating, your metabolism stays broken.
How to Lower Cortisol
Eliminate PUFAs: Reduces oxidative stress. Inflammation drops. Physiological stress response calms.
- Adequate carbs (150g+ daily)
- Iodine and selenium
- Track temperature (goal: 98°F+)
- Don't restrict below 2,000 calories
- Eat 3 meals daily
- Include carbs at every meal
- Don't fear sugar in context of whole food
- 3-4 training days max
- Prioritize walking over chronic cardio
- Include rest days
- 7-9 hours nightly
- Consistent schedule
- Dark, cool room
Manage psychological stress:
- Meditation (10-20 minutes daily)
- Walking in nature
- Social connection
- Therapy if needed
Be patient:
- Week 2-4: Energy improves
- Month 2-3: Temperature rises, sleep improves
- Month 3-6: Belly fat reduces, mood stabilizes
Testing Cortisol
Blood test:
- One-time snapshot
- Not useful for chronic stress assessment
Saliva cortisol (4-point test):
- Morning, noon, evening, bedtime
- Shows daily cortisol pattern
- Ideal: high morning, low evening
Abnormal patterns:
- High all day (chronic stress)
- Low all day (adrenal burnout/HPA axis dysfunction)
- High at night (explains insomnia)
Work with practitioner to interpret and address abnormal patterns.
What About Adaptogens
Ashwagandha:
- May lower cortisol modestly
- Can suppress thyroid in some people
- Use short-term if helpful
Rhodiola, Holy Basil, Cordyceps:
- May help stress response
- Minimal research
- Not a replacement for fixing metabolism
Phosphatidylserine:
- May blunt cortisol spike from exercise
- Helpful for athletes
- Expensive
Fix root cause first. Adaptogens are optional add-ons, not solutions.
FAQ
Q: Can stress alone cause weight gain? A: Yes, through elevated cortisol → insulin resistance → fat storage. But most "stress" is metabolic (PUFAs, low thyroid, undereating), not just psychological.
Q: My cortisol is high on labs. What does that mean? A: If persistently high, indicates chronic stress response. Fix metabolism, improve sleep, reduce training volume. Retest in 3 months.
Q: Can you have low cortisol from chronic stress? A: Yes. After prolonged high cortisol, HPA axis can become dysfunctional ("adrenal fatigue"). Same fix: support metabolism, reduce stressors. Recovery takes 6-12 months.
Q: Will cortisol-reducing supplements fix my metabolism? A: No. Supplements may help modestly. Eliminate PUFAs and support thyroid first. That's 90% of the solution.
This isn't medical advice. Work with your doctor for cortisol testing and management.