The Adrenal glands are very small but very important endocrine glands that provide energy control for the body. They can be viewed as the emergency back-up batteries of the body that kick into play when the body needs a boost. You may already be familiar with adrenaline, a chemical that the Adrenal glands produce to signal the body that there is a stress that needs to be dealt with by the body immediately. The Adrenals will be greatly affected by long term stresses on the body, whether physically, like exposure to cold for a long time or long term illness, or emotionally, like the loss of a job or imminent danger to a child. The adrenals are also intricately involved in the in the function of the heart and respiration. So, they are very important to address with all seriously ill patients.
The Adrenal glands, like all endocrine glands of the body, will slow down eventually if not receiving proper nutrition or if they’re trying to balance body functions. They will be affected by the speeding up or slowing down of other endocrine organs as well. The “hyper” or sped up state of the Adrenals can indicate the body’s attempt to deal with major stress or illness. The body may swing between Hyper and Hypo states in an attempt to regain balance within the endocrine system, especially in concert with sugar handling. Finally, the caffeine found in many hot and cold beverages can over-stimulate the Adrenal glands and “whip a tired horse” meaning avoidance of stimulants can be a great benefit to Adrenal function.
Hyperadrenal symptoms:
| Dizziness | Headaches |
| Hot flashes | Increased blood pressure |
| Hair growth on face or body (female) | Sugar in urine (not diabetes) |
| Masculine tendencies |
Nutrition is essential to overall health! Feeding the body properly keeps our systems working well and working together. A deficiency within one system may cause an array of issues throughout the body.