The adrenal fatigue theory suggests that prolonged exposure to stress could drain the adrenals leading to a low cortisol state. The adrenal depletion would cause brain fog, low energy, depressive mood, salt and sweet cravings, lightheadedness, and other vague symptoms.
Primary adrenal insufficiency is most often caused when your immune system attacks your healthy adrenal glands by mistake. Other causes may include: Cancer. Fungal infections.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid):
Certain B vitamins, including Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) provide targeted support to the adrenals. As studies show, B5 supports balanced cortisol production and helps reduce levels of excess cortisol triggered during stress events.
Typically, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis recovers after cessation of glucocorticoids, but the timing of recovery can be variable and can take anywhere from 6–12 months.
“The adrenal gland was one of the first tissues—as early as the nineteenth century—known to undergo regeneration,” said Breault, an endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital. “Despite this, the rules that control its regeneration following injury or its daily maintenance are not well understood.”
Symptoms said to be due to adrenal fatigue include tiredness, trouble falling asleep at night or waking up in the morning, salt and sugar craving, and needing stimulants like caffeine to get through the day. These symptoms are common and non-specific, meaning they can be found in many diseases.
Typically, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis recovers after cessation of glucocorticoids, but the timing of recovery can be variable and can take anywhere from 6–12 months.
Addison's disease, also called adrenal insufficiency, is an uncommon illness that occurs when the body doesn't make enough of certain hormones. In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands make too little cortisol and, often, too little of another hormone, aldosterone.
Low levels of cortisol can cause weakness, fatigue, and low blood pressure. You may have more symptoms if you have untreated Addison's disease or damaged adrenal glands due to severe stress, such as from a car accident or an infection. These symptoms include sudden dizziness, vomiting, and even loss of consciousness.
Most people with adrenal fatigue will recover quite quickly but severe symptoms may take some months to recover, or even longer. The time for recovery will vary enormously from person to person and will also depend on the cause of stress and the severity of symptoms.
Although there's no cure, primary adrenal insufficiency can be managed effectively by taking cortisol and aldosterone replacement hormones, with the goal of stabilizing hormone levels and relieving signs and symptoms.
Moreover, fasting has incredible benefits for the entire body ranging from cognitive function to thyroid function, supporting Fat Storing Hormone sensitivity(23), and much more. Really, intermittent fasting actually benefits people with adrenal issues or those with an adrenal body type.
This can create a significant imbalance in your sodium-potassium levels, thus, consuming potassium-rich bananas can worsen the situation. That's why if your suffering from Adrenal Fatigue, experts typically advise you to avoid or limit your banana intake.
To achieve optimum hydration for adrenal fatigue recovery, it is important to bath the body internally with ample water balanced with electrolytes. About one quart (32 ounces or four glasses of 8 ounces each) of pure filtered water per day for every fifty pounds of body weight is the recommended minimum.
The Benefits of Magnesium for Adrenal Fatigue
Supporting the adrenal glands will not only help with the rebalancing of the Cardionomic circuit, it will improve your health overall and also give you some relief from the frequently debilitating adrenal fatigue symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and brain fog.
Caffeine causes neural excitation in the brain, which the pituitary gland perceives as an emergency and stimulates the adrenal glands to release adrenaline. Caffeine also increases dopamine levels -- the neurotransmitter that is affected by drugs like amphetamines and heroin.