TIME.com: Is Adrenal Fatigue Real?
TIME.com recently interviewed endocrinologist Anat Ben-Shlomo, MD, associate professor of Medicine and co-director of the Multidisciplinary Adrenal Program at Cedars-Sinai, about adrenal fatigue—a term that is often mistakenly used to explain symptoms of chronic stress, such as fatigue, salt or sugar cravings, anxiety, and brain fog.
The notion of adrenal fatigue stems from the idea that the adrenal glands can get overloaded by stress and stop producing cortisol, a hormone that helps the body regulate its stress response. But medical and scientific experts agree that adrenal fatigue is a myth.
Ben-Shlomo told TIME.com that adrenal fatigue is a popular topic on social media and in alternative medicine groups. But it presents a challenge to traditional physicians when their patients insist on being tested for a condition that is not an actual medical diagnosis.
“It takes a lot of time and a lot of explanation … to prove their adrenals are fine,” she said.
Ben-Shlomo told TIME.com that the adrenal glands continue to produce hormones when people are experiencing stress and that the process “appears to be limitless” unless a person has been tested and diagnosed with Addison’s disease or Cushing syndrome, rare disorders that cause the adrenal glands to function improperly.
She told TIME.com that believing in adrenal fatigue can be dangerous if people diagnose themselves without seeing their doctor because they may be experiencing symptoms related to another medical issue. And unregulated supplements that are often touted as treatments for adrenal fatigue can do more harm than good.
The best ways to manage symptoms of chronic stress include physical exercise, proper nutrition, mindfulness practices, social activity, and consulting with a mental health professional or doctor.
Click here to read the complete article from TIME.com.