Angela and guest Dr Sarah Hill discuss the fascinating research on the stress response and cortisol in relation to hormonal birth control, highlighting the profound influence of sex hormones on the body and how women on hormonal birth control have a blunted cortisol response to stress.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Women on hormonal birth control have a blunted cortisol response to stress.
• Cortisol is beneficial in the short term for coping with stress and memory formation.
• Chronic exposure to cortisol can be detrimental to the body, leading to a shutdown of the stress response.
• Women on the birth control pill exhibit a blunted cortisol response similar to individuals with PTSD or trauma.
• The first three months of birth control pill use may cause the HPA axis to go into overdrive, leading to a shutdown of the stress response.

BEST MOMENTS

"Cortisol helps our body and our brain cope with whatever it is that we're experiencing that's stressful."

"Women who are on the birth control pill exhibit this blunted cortisol response to stress because they essentially have the HPA axis, which is the brain adrenal axis, which is the thing that drives cortisol release and regulates cortisol release."

"I think the body goes into cortisol overdrive when you go on the pill, and I think it probably has to do with the progestins binding to these cortisol receptors."

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ABOUT THE HOST

Angela Foster is an award winning Nutritionist, Health & Performance Coach, Speaker and Host of the High Performance Health podcast. A former Corporate lawyer turned industry leader in biohacking and health optimisation for women, Angela has been featured in various media including Huff Post, Runners world, The Health Optimisation Summit, BrainTap, The Women’s Biohacking Conference, Livestrong & Natural Health Magazine.

Angela is the creator of BioSyncing®️ a blueprint for ambitious entrepreneurial women to biohack their health so they can 10X how they show up in their business and their family without burning out. Angela’s BioSyncing®️ Blueprint is currently closed. Click here to get on the waitlist.

The High Performance Health Podcast is a top rated global podcast. Each week, Angela brings you a new insight, biohack or high performance habit to help you unlock optimal health, longevity and higher performance. Hit the follow button to make sure you get notified each time Angela releases a new episode.

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