Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Cortisol helps in emergencies—but chronic stress keeps it high, turning a life-saver into a life-wrecker.
High cortisol jacks up blood sugar and slows metabolism—pushing your body to store fat, especially around the belly.
Cortisol controls salt balance. When it spikes too often, so does your blood pressure—silently feeding hypertension.
Short-term cortisol fights inflammation. Long-term? It weakens immunity, delays healing, and invites frequent infections.
Excess cortisol rewires the brain—causing anxiety, depression, memory loss, and even shrinking key brain areas.
Cortisol should drop at night. If it doesn’t, you’re left with insomnia, restless sleep, and groggy mornings.
High cortisol drives cravings, boosts appetite, and stockpiles fat in your midsection—raising your risk for diabetes and heart disease.
Chronic cortisol inhibits calcium and muscle growth—leading to weakness, fractures, and brittle bones over time.
With 80% of Indians under regular stress, cortisol overload may be the silent force behind India’s epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and mental illness.