Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — PTSD

Cortisol should increase around 50% in the first 30 minutes on awakening, then start to progressively drop the remainder of the day. Three, rather than one, early morning collections are what is needed to accurately assess the CAR: one immediately on waking, one 30 minutes later, and another at 1 hour. Diurnal Rhythm Assessment Thirty minutes after awakening from a good night’s sleep, cortisol levels are at the highest they’ll be all day. Following the morning peak, cortisol levels then fall to less than half that peak level by noon. They continue to drop to very low levels at night...

It is a well-known fact that “sitting is the new smoking,” and that our health suffers greatly from inactivity. The human body was meant to be in motion for at least an hour or two a day — this is known to keep the cardiovascular system tuned up as well as preventing excessive weight gain. But did you know that exercise affects levels of neurotransmitters in the body and can actually help you prevent or overcome disorders such as depression? Depression: One of the Leading Causes of Disability Worldwide The World Health Organisation has estimated that 350 million people are...

DHEA and DHEA-S are the most abundant steroid hormones in the body and play a critical role in brain health, mood regulation, and cognitive function. This article explains the biochemical distinction between the two, how they act as neurosteroids, and why measuring DHEA-S is the gold standard for assessing adrenocortical activity.