November 26, 2025

The Surprising Role of Cortisol in Alzheimer's

7 minutes

New research shows that people with Alzheimer's have higher cortisol levels and a skewed cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio, revealing that chronic stress drives early brain degeneration long before memory loss appears
Cortisol, your body's main stress hormone, damages neurons and disrupts energy metabolism when it stays elevated, while DHEA-S acts as a protective neurosteroid that helps your brain resist inflammation and oxidative stress
Bioenergetic researcher Georgi Dinkov connected these findings to thyroid and metabolic health, showing that when your cells don't produce enough energy, cortisol rises and accelerates cognitive decline
Tracking your cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio offers a powerful early warning sign for chronic stress and neurodegeneration, allowing you to take preventive action years before symptoms develop
You can rebalance these hormones naturally by fueling your metabolism with adequate healthy carbohydrates, improving sleep and light exposure, reducing overtraining, practicing calming breathwork, and using natural progesterone to help quiet cortisol

...more

By Dr. Mercola

4.6

14871,487 ratings

November 26, 2025

7 minutes

New research shows that people with Alzheimer's have higher cortisol levels and a skewed cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio, revealing that chronic stress drives early brain degeneration long before memory loss appears
Cortisol, your body's main stress hormone, damages neurons and disrupts energy metabolism when it stays elevated, while DHEA-S acts as a protective neurosteroid that helps your brain resist inflammation and oxidative stress
Bioenergetic researcher Georgi Dinkov connected these findings to thyroid and metabolic health, showing that when your cells don't produce enough energy, cortisol rises and accelerates cognitive decline
Tracking your cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio offers a powerful early warning sign for chronic stress and neurodegeneration, allowing you to take preventive action years before symptoms develop
You can rebalance these hormones naturally by fueling your metabolism with adequate healthy carbohydrates, improving sleep and light exposure, reducing overtraining, practicing calming breathwork, and using natural progesterone to help quiet cortisol

...more