The Difference Between Cortisol and Adrenal Cell Extract Treatments For Adrenal Fatigue

People these days have started to be more aware of the importance of hormones, more than ever. This is especially true for people engaged in an active lifestyle or are into bodybuilding. It may also be a concern for people with chronic illnesses or disorders who need to regulate their hormones in order to be able to function well and healthily on a daily basis. A currently popular choice these days for regulating hormones is the use of cortisol and/or adrenal cell extracts. It is important to note that these two things are different from each other.

For one, adrenal cell extracts (sometimes called adrenal cortical extracts) are mainly produced to be able to rebuild the adrenal cells. It has also been processed in such a way that adrenal hormones are for the most part removed. The main function of adrenal cell extracts is to rebuild, support, fortify, and restore your adrenals. These cell extracts are generally made from sheep, cow, or pig adrenal cortex that have been ground up. They come in either liquid or powder form. They are not replacement hormones but are there to help enhance adrenal recovery. These adrenal extracts are not new and have been used in treating adrenal fatigue and other adrenal disorders for many years.

On the other hand, cortisol or any of other cortisol steroid (prednisonlone, prednisone, cortisone, etc) operate by means of reducing or shutting down the activity of the adrenal glands. This is made possible because the use of cortisol triggers the brain to sense that there is ACTH present and then withhold additional production of it. In doing so, the adrenal glands cease to produce more adrenal hormones.

Cortisol treatment has been linked with viable results, but there are also some heavy side effects to be considered. There have been many incidences of people "crashing" once they decide to stop taking cortisol. Because of this, it can be a slow process to eventually get off the cortisol. Patients have noted that upon getting off cortisol treatment, symptoms can return even worse than before.

Although patients usually experience more dramatic results initially with cortisol, it does come at a price. Because of the side effects, cortisol supplementation is generally only prescribed in extreme cases. Meanwhile, adrenal cell extracts are deemed more natural because they still allow for the normal release of adrenal hormones, only that it regulates the dosage. The latter allows the adrenal glands to recover its healthy function while supporting and rebuilding them.