Cortisol plays an indispensable role in the body. This steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex helps regulate blood glucose and the metabolism of fats and proteins.
But cortisol is best known as the stress hormone.
In a stressful situation, the body ramps up its production to cope with what it perceives as a threat. As a result, you have more energy and enhanced mental and physical abilities.
This is therefore a perfectly normal survival mechanism. However, a prolonged period of stress can lead to a more sustained increase in cortisol levels.
When stress hormone levels stay high for too long, they cause deleterious effects on the body. Symptoms include sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, muscle aches, and a bloated belly.
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How can you tell the difference between bloating and abdominal fat?
A large, rounded belly is not necessarily a sign of weight gain or fat accumulation.
If you feel stretching and swelling in the abdomen, a heaviness, pain, as well as gas, there’s a strong chance it’s bloating.
The causes can be multiple (hormonal, digestive…) and sometimes difficult to detect.
Even though having a bloated belly doesn’t make the number on the scale go up, it can be unpleasant to deal with and cause significant discomfort.
Unlike the presence of fatty tissue in the abdominal area, a bloated belly is generally temporary and can vary throughout the day, depending on digestion and physical activity.
But also from stress and your cortisol levels.
Hormonal fluctuations, particularly in women, contribute to these uncomfortable sensations of a bloated belly.
How can cortisol make my belly swell?
I’m bloated
When cortisol levels rise, a general disruption of balance is observed. To cope with threatening situations, this hormone activates the sympathetic nervous system.
Heart rate increases, the bronchi dilate to take in more oxygen, glucose is released by the liver, and sweating increases: the body is ready for action.
This results in a decrease in blood flow to the digestive organs to supply the muscles more.
Digestion is slower and sometimes incomplete, transit is disrupted, undigested food ferments in the intestines. Result? Gas is produced and the belly swells and becomes tense, as described in this study.
I’m gaining weight
Beyond this bloating, chronic stress can also affect fat storage and promote weight gain, thereby increasing that feeling of a bloated stomach. That’s what this study examined.
It particularly affects the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and the satiety hormone, leptin. This pushes you to eat more.
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I’m retaining water
Cortisol can also cause water retention by acting on electrolyte balance in the body.
It increases the reabsorption of sodium by the kidneys, which leads to water being reabsorbed to maintain osmotic balance.
This fluid retention can then contribute to that feeling of a bloated stomach.
My tips for reducing cortisol and avoiding a bloated belly
If your belly is bloated because of stress, I recommend establishing a routine to learn how to manage it better on a daily basis.
Practice deep-breathing exercises or meditation
These have demonstrated beneficial properties for stress management.
If you have little time, practice box breathing several times a day: inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold your breath again for another 4 seconds.
Repeat this cycle for 5 minutes.
Favor an anti-inflammatory diet
An anti-inflammatory diet is rich in antioxidants: red berries, citrus fruits, peppers…
But also in omega-3s from fatty fish, walnut oil, and flaxseed oil. In fiber (fruits and vegetables) and in magnesium (spinach, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds).
The latter helps fight the harmful effects of cortisol.
Engage in moderate-intensity physical activity
I recommend walking or swimming to lower cortisol and improve intestinal transit.
Try adaptogenic herbs
Ashwagandha or Rhodiola could have a beneficial effect on stress, although scientific studies are still limited and controversial about the actual effect of these supplements.
I recommend that you talk to your primary care physician before starting any supplementation.
Sources and scientific studies
- Paola Iovino et al., Bloating and functional gastro-intestinal disorders: Where are we and where are we going ?, 2014
- S D Hewagalamulage et Al., Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity, 2016
- Judith A. et Al., Cushing, Cortisol, and Cardiovascular Disease, 2000
- Jennifer Daubenmier et Al., Mindfulness Intervention for Stress Eating to Reduce Cortisol and Abdominal Fat among Overweight and Obese Women: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study, 2011
