the real cause of adrenal fatigue-- (hint_ it's not what you think!)

8/18/2019 The REAL CAUSE of Adrenal Fatigue-- (Hint_ It's Not What You Think!)

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01/02/2016 The R EAL C AU SE of Adr enal Fati gue- - ( hi nt: i t' s not w hat you thi nk!)

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HE REAL CAUSE OF ADRENAL FATIGUE–IT’S NOT

HAT YOU THINK Catherine — 21 Comments | Medical Disclaimer | This Post Contains Affiliate Links

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http://butternutrition.com/real-cause-adrenal-fatigue-symptoms/ 2

eryone experiences some form of stress regularly, but it can often become a much more

rious problem for your body. A stress that is chronic or prolonged can lead

insufficient adrenal gland function. The stressed adrenals can manifest in symptoms such

feeling unwell and fatigued, also known as “adrenal fatigue.”

ost every client I work with has some form of adrenal fatigue or stress show up on their intake

ms, however, this means something very different to me than the adrenal fatigue everyone is

king about. Do you REALLY have adrenal fatigue OR is it something much simpler?

me adrenal fatigue symptoms are:

end to be a “night person”

ifficulty falling asleep

low starter in the morning

end to be keyed up, trouble calming down

alm on the outside, troubled on the inside

endency to need sunglasses

hronic fatigue or get drowsy often

rave salty foods


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ry hard. They stay happy, so that in those intense moments of acute stress, they do the job they

re put there to do: create energy during times of life threatening stress. However, your adrenals

re not meant to withstand the CHRONIC stress that goes on day after day when you aren’t

eting your body’s demands.

hyroid is needed for the adrenals to function well, and adequate cholesterol, as rawterial. It’s popular to talk about ‘weak adrenals,’ but the adrenal cortex regenerates very

ll. Animal experimenters can make animals that lack the adrenal medulla by scooping out

erything inside the adrenal capsule, and the remaining cells quickly regenerate the steroid

ducing tissues, the cortex. So I think the ‘low adrenal’ people are simply low thyroid, or

ficient in cholesterol or nutrients.”

r. Ray Peat, PhD

nsider this: if you are currently on a diet (even if it’s paleo), cutting calories (starving), eating

ds that decrease appetite (like ones you don’t digest well), and/or not managing your blood

gar properly, that’s a key reason why you’re feeling like your adrenals are fatigued.

hile adrenal fatigue may be real thing, I think it’s better to call it what it really is: the result of

ting, a diet low in carbohydrates, not eating enough, and/or poor blood sugar handling. So if

u want to ditch the adrenal fatigue by learning to meet your body’s needs without having to do

zy adrenal protocols with expensive supplements (and no results), find out how you can get

rted learning everything you need here!

Tell me your experience– have you suffered from adrenal fatigue and if so, were you

restricting carbohydrates or not eating enough food?

Pin it:

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ferences:

at, Ray. Tryptophan, serotonin, and aging. 2006. Retrieved on August 21,

14 from http://raypeat.com/articles/aging/tryptophan-serotonin-aging.shtml

eatherby, Dicken. “Liver and Gallbladder.” Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional

rspective. Nutritional Therapy Association, 2004. Print.

oto Credit: Depositphotos.com/alphaspirit

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MMEN T S

katrina says

August 21, 2014 at 7:21 pm

EWould you write on. Handling blood sugar.Like Reactive hypoglycemia.I have

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added protein three times a day.Liver and coconut oil seem to have repaired my dry

skin.No more than 3 carbs at each meal.little or no appitite after five pm to control blood

sugar.I guess thats why I am exhausted.

REPLY

Maureen says

August 21, 2014 at 7:59 pm

This is very interesting. Catherine, you continue to impress me with your and

Ray Peat’s angles on true nutrition and health. Since starting the WAPF diet (but not

perfectly) 1.5 years ago my body is finally going in the right direction. I only hope it’s not

too late for a full recovery, inc. adrenal fatigue, gallstones, candida, unbalanced

breathing, obesity, and depersonalization. And now I am finally giving up gluten and

focusing on blood sugar regulation, the last pieces of my recovery puzzle. I love the

concept of nourishing our bodies, and love sharing it with people all the time.

Nourishment…what a concept!?! If we’d only learn to listen to our bodies (my FAVORITE

food has always been butter, bacon, and chicken livers, and grains gave me a stomach

ache…why didn’t I listen??) And once again the WAPF way is the way to health…to heal

adrenal fatigue. I love it! As long as I have awesome resources like you and other WAPF

online experts I feel supported and motivated to keep on healing…even through the

dark days of recovery/detoxing that seem to never end sometimes. I just wanted to saythank you, and let you know how much your generous sharing is appreciated.

BTW, my latest challenge is bouts of pancreatitis. I am eating artichokes daily to clean

my liver, and I think this may be bringing it on. Do you have any insights into this

condition? the internet isn’t much help as far as natural cures.

Thank you! 8D

REPLY

Nina Alviar says

August 21, 2014 at 8:42 pm

It’s so complicated. I think saying something is the “real cause” of adrenal

fatigue is too broad. I have been eating nutrient dense foods for years and my health

was/is still breaking down, with adrenal exhaustion as the basket that holds myriad

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other health problems. Everyone has a different cocktail that leads them down this path,

and of course advising to eat nutrient dense foods is essential, but not everyone will be

able to stop supplementing, some of us have so many complications that it would be

downright dangerous to. I appreciate the info about how eating a la Nourishing

Traditions is best, but it isn’t the whole picture for everyone.

REPLY

Emz says

December 17, 2014 at 6:31 pm

May I ask If you eat GMO-free foods? if not you cannot have optimal

nutrition due to the vast amounts of chemicals and hormones that counter-act the

“goodness” in those foods…if there is any.

REPLY

Cares says

December 25, 2015 at 9:20 pm

I agree Nina, I am in the same boat, 20 odd years of really good nutrition of mostly homegrown meat and fruit/veg (and yes Emz GMO free) and plenty of

exercise, but because of ongoing severe stress all the good food didn’t prevent

serious health problems due to stress and a nervous breakdown.

We are complicated creatures and one cure/cause does not fit all of us and I think

this simplifies it way

too much.

REPLY

Lori says

August 23, 2014 at 4:19 pm

My Doctor actually said i had adrenal fatigue, as I had been on prednisone for 5

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years, and just recently after a very long taper (withdrawal) even then i had some not so

nice withdrawal symptoms, and have been told it will take my body awhile to heal,

although I have noticed since making healthy diet changes that I feel better, and can

really tell when I don’t follow them, and even after getting off of them chronically there

are still times that I have had to go on a burst for 5-7 days, I have severe, RAD. reactive

airway disease, it acts much like asthma when they react but afterwards my lungs are

fine, I don’t have the chronic problems most asthmatics do.

Oh I love your blogs especially the sleepy dust, which I have shared with a friend it

works wonders.

REPLY

Lucy says

August 26, 2014 at 6:51 am

To those who are finding real food, Nourishing Traditions, and WAPF good but

insufficient, I would take a peek at the GAPS protocol. My naturopathic doctor explained

to me that I am sensitive and grew up (since infancy) in a high-stress environment that

actually shut down my ability to digest and absorb food almost at all. Digestive enzymes

and stomach acid supplements helped a lot to begin metabolizing and absorbing

nutrition I hadn’t yet been getting in my lifetime, plus a lifestyle that managed stress

incredibly differently. GAPS has been the only pure-food protocol that has met theintensity of my needs, though I do agree with Catherine’s supplementing that carefully

with some carbs for energy (for example, raw carrots). I realize that if I’ve been getting

sick my whole life, I shouldn’t be surprised if it takes me quite awhile toget better!

REPLY

Melissa L. says

August 28, 2014 at 3:48 pm

While I don’t discount this as a possible reason for some people to mimic

adrenal fatigue, it is well established amongst those dealing with thyroid issues that one

must attend to adrenal stress and/or iron levels if taking NDT isn’t making a dent in

symptoms . Only once those issues have been improved can thyroid function be

returned to more optimal levels. I don’t doubt there are thyroid patients who eat too

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little in their desperation to lose fat that simply won’t budge, but I’d be very surprised if

your theory held true for them on a large scale.

REPLY

Eve saysAugust 29, 2014 at 10:11 pm

Interesting – what role do iron levels play? My thyroid is great! However

my iron levels are too high!

REPLY

Melissa L. says

August 30, 2014 at 8:59 am

Generally, if a thyroid patient is suffering continued symptoms of

hypothyroid, even after getting on natural desiccated thyroid (NDT), they are

either suffering from adrenal fatigue and/or low-iron, to possibly anemic

levels. The National Academy of Hypothyroidism has a page about improving

iron levels for hormone balance.

REPLY

S. says

August 31, 2014 at 9:53 am

I don’t think that adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency is the root cause of

anything, to be honest. And I’m starting to question whether or not the thyroid

dysfunction is a root cause, either, at least for some people. For me, it’s Lyme Disease

that’s caused this cascade of autoimmune dysfunction, including thyroid and adrenal

gland dysfunction. It took me a long, long time to figure out and get the Lyme Diagnosis,

but it’s explained all my health issues, especially my adrenal fatigue.

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REPLY

steve says

September 19, 2014 at 2:56 pm

There is no such thing as adrenal fatigue; its b.s.

REPLY

Melissa L. says


Well, that wasn’t especially helpful, Steve. Care to explain why you feel that’s

so? Or is it just easier to drop an opinion that has no substance?

REPLY

Nina saysSeptember 20, 2014 at 9:55 am

He’s a troll, Melissa. Just ignore him. Popular psychological studies on

internet trolls show that they are narcissists who go around to websites and

comment just to get a rise out out of people. Most of them are extremely mentally

ill. If you ignore them, they don’t get their “hit” so they move on.

REPLY

Carla P. says


I’ve read that Peat quote about the adrenal capsule on several sites. If you

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review his posted articles he has about 2 sentences where he talks about Broda Barnes

giving patients small doses of corticosteroids to help the body utilize the thyroid

hormone he was giving them.

Sadly, people often use the quote you are presenting and then don’t include the fact

that adequate adrenal coricosteroids are required to utilize thyroid hormone.

Whether we want to call it adrenal fatigue or not doesnt matter to a person who is

completely exhausted and then overstimulated when they try to help themselves with

thyroid and a pro thyroid diet.

Thanks for a great blog.

REPLY

Organic Superfoods says

October 17, 2014 at 9:20 am

Adrenal fatigue isn’t in the true sense because its most commonly a secondary

issue or would be better labelled as HPA-axis dysfunction or down-regulation, this is

what causes the lowered adrenal hormone output that we often see.

Not eating enough can be a cause of this constant activation of the sympathetic nervous

system as you state, however its not the only factor. HPA-axis downregulation causes

poor regulation of blood sugar due to the lack of cortisol being put out by the adrenal

glands, so keeping blood sugar stable and eating enough of the right foods is essential.

REPLY

Chrissy says

November 7, 2014 at 9:24 pm

I font agree with thus article. I had/have adrenal fatigue. I’m in the process of

getting better now, but I ate good, never restricted this or that. Mine was completely

from stress and I know that now, I didn’t a couple years ago. I was stressed in my

personal life, my marriage and the icing on the cake was my dad suddenly passions

away last year, that was the draw that broke the camels back. I quit my job and have

focused on healing. I’m eating great and doing well, still tired at times but I know what I

can handle. But this article had nothing to do with me or my eating at the time.

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REPLY

matt says

November 7, 2014 at 10:51 pm

Yes yes, but how do you FIX it?

REPLY

Self says

January 23, 2015 at 12:01 pm

I don’t think this is a complete load of crap, but I agree that it isn’t the whole

story. It may be worsened by typic weight-loss diets, and/or unhealthy diets like the

SAD, or largely triggered by them, but we have high stress lives, and we don’t know how

to manage as a whole. We de-stress by using methods that actually stress is out more

(ie. eating bad “comfort food,” drinking, smoking, watching t.v., doing drugs, etc.”)

I had gut issues for a long time, and then food sensitivities that turned into allergies. I

had all the symptoms and signs of adrenal fatigue when this started, and after changing

my diet completely (not to a low carb, just one that omitted processed foods and my

allergies) I continued to suffer from adrenal issues, thyroid issues, depression, and

insomnia for years.

Yeah, getting rid of some things in the diet can lead to a lack of proper nutrition, which in

turn can be a contributor to adrenal problems, if not the entire reason, but a lot of things

can cause malnutrition, not just purposeful dieting, and lots of things cause stress. Why

is it even proposed that there’s only one source?

REPLY

Self says

January 23, 2015 at 12:06 pm

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Oh, and I forgot to add:

I feel about a million times better (still fighting to heal, but am noticeably and very

different) and a large part of my healing came about from ceasing consumption of

grains. This would be considered too extreme in cutting down the amount of carbs to

some. I’ll admit it had nothing to do with carb content, but it’s still restrictive on the

surface, and I don’t regret it. My body feels way better when I stay away from them. I

also avoid dairy, and most meat.

REPLY

lisa says

August 13, 2015 at 3:06 pm

What is sleeping dust?

REPLY

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the real cause of adrenal fatigue-- (hint_ it's not what you think!)

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