This study found a significant association between variation of salivary cortisol throughout the day in patients with metastatic breast cancer and their subsequent survival.
Salivary cortisol levels of 104 patients with metastatic breast cancer were assessed 4 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Cortisol values were measured and the slope of the daily variation was calculated by plotting the values on a graph.
The cortisol slope was predictive of survival up to 7 years later.
In patients with relatively "flat" rhythms, which indicates a lack of normal variation, earlier mortality was found.
Patients with "flat" rhythms also had significantly lower Natural Killer (NK) cell counts and suppressed NK cell activity.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which is the principal hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, located at the upper end of each kidney.
Cortisol levels are usually lowest in the morning and increase dramatically throughout the day.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute June 21, 2000;92:994-1000
This is a powerful testimony to balancing the adrenal hormones. I have only recently appreciated this, thanks to the personal mentoring of Dr. Timmins from Bio Health Diagnostics (800-570-2000). Cortisol is one of the major adrenal hormones. A flat curve, as the study describes above, would indicate stage three adrenal impairment of the most severe kind, so it is not surprising to find increased mortality in cancer patients.
Many natural medicine clinicians recognize that the adrenal glands need support and provide herbals or glandulars to assist their clients. Well, although this is certainly better than drugs and the traditional medical paradigm, it does not address the factors that cause the adrenals to become dysfunctional.
Generally one needs to address the following issues to improve adrenal health:
Get to bed before 10 p.m. Rest and repair occurs from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. and if you are awake it does not happen. Your gallbladder dumps toxins from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. If you are awake the toxins back up into the liver, which then secondarily back up into your system and cause further disruption of your health.
Optimize your diet.
Address emotional stress issues. Unresolved psychoemotional stress issues are the most common reason why the adrenals are impaired. Normally, I find advanced muscle testing tools to more rapidly address the foundational reasons why the adrenals are impaired.
Identify hidden causes of stress. These are usually metabolic poisons or toxins such as solvents, pesticides, mercury from amalgam fillings, yeast or anaerobic infections in the gut, parasites, root canal infections, structural misalignments, and a large number of other stressors.
After the above issues have been addressed, or concurrently, I generally put the patient on sublingual pregnenolone and DHEA to reset the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The process normally takes several months but is incredibly effective at normalizing the adrenals on a long-term basis and after a few months no supplements at all are required.
The best program I currently know of is the Bio Health Diagnostics program I reference above. The service is only available to licensed clinicians, but the prices are very fair and they provide extensive support to aid the clinicians in developing an understanding of the test results and implement the program with their clients.
Related Articles:
DHEA Replacement Improves Well-Being In Women With Adrenal Insufficiency Cuddled as a Baby Means Lower Cortisol Levels Applied Psycho-Neurobiology
DHEA Replacement Improves Well-Being In Women With Adrenal Insufficiency
Cuddled as a Baby Means Lower Cortisol Levels
Applied Psycho-Neurobiology