What is the function of cortisol in a healthy person?
There is no one main function of cortisol and researchers have found that just about any part of the body is regulated by cortisol. It’s a hormone that regulates many activities; glucose metabolism, the immune system, the metabolism of calcium and bone metabolism. And too much (Cushing’s syndrome) or too little (Addison’s disease), is detrimental. Addison’s disease causes the opposite effects of Cushing’s syndrome: blood pressure is too low, electrolytes are abnormal, potassium is high, patients lose weight and are very fatigued. What controls cortisol production? There is a small gland in the middle of the brain called the pituitary gland that makes several stimulating hormones that go on to regulate the production other hormones. For example, there’s a hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the pituitary that goes and tells your thyroid how much to work. The same thing happens with the adrenal gland. There is a hormone in the pituitary called adrenocorticotropic-stimulat
