Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about Cortisol Face. People online seem to have an opinion on that puffy, rounded, rosy-cheeked look, and stress is always the villain in the story. But is stress really the culprit, or has the internet gotten this one twisted? Jenn digs into what cortisol does in the body, why it isn't the same as the corticosteroids that show up in medications. What is really behind that fuller-faced appearance so many people quickly blame on a bad week? There is real medical language for this look, real conditions connected to it, and a few surprising everyday habits that could be playing a bigger role than anyone expects. So is cortisol face real, or just another wellness buzzword? Tune in to find out what Jenn has to say before you believe the next viral claim. Like what you're hearing? Be sure to check out the full-length episodes of new releases every Wednesday. Have an idea for a nutrition nugget? Submit it here:https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/index.php/contact/
Have you seen or heard this referenced? [00:00:30] It's the name that essentially influences, or maybe [00:00:35] I'm better off saying the internet as a whole gives to this look when a [00:00:40] person's face appears more round, the cheeks more full and [00:00:45] kind of pink, and I think they would say puffy. [00:00:50] And they believe that it's due to stress, or really I should say [00:00:55] high stress.
's going on? Is it possible? [:
Water retention, often from [00:01:25] eating higher amounts of salt or sugar, ultra-processed foods, could be [00:01:30] caused by poor sleep, drinking alcohol, allergies, underactive [00:01:35] thyroid, which is hypothyroidism. It's also often a combination of [00:01:40] fat accumulation and soft tissue swelling [00:01:45] connected to skin thinning. So this can be a side effect of [00:01:50] steroid-containing medications.
be induced by a tumor in the [:
So according to NIH, Cushing's syndrome [00:02:20] affects about 40 to 70 people per million, and Cushing [00:02:25] disease is 70% of those cases. So that's about [00:02:30] 10 to 15 people per million per year. So in reality, [00:02:35] it's not really that this look is caused by high cortisol. [00:02:40] It's more likely that this is from high [00:02:45] corticosteroid levels.
erstanding cortisol, because [:
[00:03:10] Sure, prolonged stress, higher levels of cortisol have impact on the body and [00:03:15] potentially the skin, yet usually to a much lesser extent [00:03:20] than what we see in moon face. The other piece of this that the [00:03:25] internet and influencers need a better understanding of is [00:03:30] cortisol itself Yes, cortisol is the stress hormone, and [00:03:35] the body needs cortisol.
ise in cortisol is what gets [:
So all of those things are [00:04:20] likely happening. And when the body is experiencing high levels of daily stress for sustained periods of [00:04:25] time, the adrenal gland, which is where cortisol is made, can become [00:04:30] exhausted and stop producing cortisol or not be able to keep up or [00:04:35] produce enough. This is, in wellness circles, what's known as [00:04:40] adrenal fatigue.
wledge that that is a thing, [:
So it's higher in the morning to get us [00:05:15] up and out of bed, and then it tapers off later, you know, throughout the day and [00:05:20] into the evening. When that pattern is different, there are physiological symptoms and [00:05:25] signs like we discussed. So all in, cortisol face, is it a thing? [00:05:30] Yes and no. It is not a medical diagnosis.
Most [:
There may be either a different pharmaceutical option that they can offer you or, [00:06:00] depending on what's going on, a functional practitioner may offer a host of other [00:06:05] options. So for the most part, the next time you see someone online talking about cortisol [00:06:10] face, you have permission to keep scrolling. Well, as always, everybody, I'm your [00:06:15] host, Jenn Trepeck.
al media. I am @jenntrepeck, [:
I invite you, friend, if you are [00:06:40] not already a member, join us in the Happy Healthy Hub. You'll go to [00:06:45] asaladwithasideoffries.com/membership. This shows your support for this podcast, this [00:06:50] community, and your health. On top of interview episodes in full video with [00:06:55] behind-the-scenes content, your 24/7 ask-me-anything on the community board, you'll get [00:07:00] this week's recipe for cherry soft serve ice cream.
