This ‘dictator’ of hormones has a major impact on sleep and metabolism —if your levels are out of whack
By Tracy Swartz
Stop the stresses!
Cortisol is known as the body’s primary stress hormone, but it has many essential functions. It naturally peaks in the morning to help you wake up and feel alert and then gradually decreases throughout the day to eventually prepare your body for sleep.
Elevated cortisol over a long while can lead to increased appetite, weight gain, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, mood swings, a higher risk of diabetes, sleep troubles and skin problems.
Scientist holding card showing cortisol's chemical formula.
Cortisol, known as the “stress hormone,” is produced and released by the adrenal glands.
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That’s why it’s important to know your cortisol patterns. Enter Eli Health, a Montreal-based health tech startup that recently soft-launched an at-home instantaneous cortisol test.
“We started the company six years ago, initially out of a personal need,” Marina Pavlovic Rivas, cofounder and CEO of Eli Health, told The Post.
“We started with this hormone, given the wide-reaching impact it has on health.”
Here’s a look at how the test works — and how to improve cortisol levels.
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What does cortisol do?
Cortisol is made and released by the adrenal glands in response to stress.
Light exposure, diet and sleep also significantly influence cortisol levels.
Doctor holding happy and sad face cards.
Cortisol can directly affect mood. It can lead to depression and anxiety if it’s out of whack.
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The hormone dictates the body’s fight-or-flight response, while helping to manage blood pressure and blood sugar levels and regulate immune function.
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“It goes way beyond stress — it has an impact on all bodily functions,” Pavlovic Rivas said about cortisol.
“[It’s been] said that hormones are not a democracy, and that cortisol is the dictator,” she added. “When cortisol is dysregulated, it has a trickle-down impact on all other hormones that also play a role in health.”
How does the Eli Health test work?
Eli Health recommends testing at least every two weeks to monitor your cortisol curve.
A test should be taken in the morning, ideally 30 minutes after waking, and in the evening before bedtime. A monthly four-pack costs $32.
It’s a pretty simple test that resembles a COVID or pregnancy test — except it’s with spit, which has long been used to measure cortisol levels.
Smartphone displaying cortisol level test results and at-home test device.
Eli Health recently launched an at-home cortisol testing system that includes a smartphone app.
Courtesy of Eli Health
First, you download the Eli Health app, which reads test results and logs data.
The app walks users through the process. A test is placed under the tongue for a minute to collect saliva.
“What we like to say is to imagine that you’re filling a tube,” Pavlovic Rivas said.
“Instead of just leaving the pad on your tongue passively, do like if you’re filling a tube or a glass with saliva, by pushing that saliva onto the pad,” she continued. “When you think there’s enough saliva, put twice as much.”
Man using at-home cortisol test.
Eli Health users place their saliva on the testing pad to get a cortisol measure.
Courtesy of Eli Health
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Then, you pull a tab on the test until you see a blue dot. Now, it’s a 20-minute waiting game.
A line appears during that time, but it’s not like a COVID or pregnancy test where you know the outcome right away.
You have to use the app to take a picture of the line to get the reading.
The app tells you if your measurement is within range and generates your score.
“We’re looking at the intensity of color of the line,” Pavlovic Rivas said. “We use computer vision algorithms to translate an image and the information present in that image into a hormone level.”
If you didn’t get a line because there wasn’t enough saliva or the tab wasn’t pulled correctly, the test is useless.
How to improve cortisol levels
A feature in the app lets users document activities that can influence cortisol. This helps to identify patterns so adjustments can be made to achieve optimal levels.
A healthy diet, moderate-intensity exercise, consistently adequate sleep, mindfulness practices, time in nature and supportive relationships can contribute to healthy cortisol levels.
Hand holding an at-home cortisol test.
A line appears in the window if saliva has been properly collected. Cortisol levels are calculated in the app within minutes.
Courtesy of Eli Health
“We’ve seen this again and again in the user base,” Pavlovic Rivas said. “For some people, for example, just being out in nature would be enough to have a very significant impact on cortisol.”
Pavlovic Rivas said that users have also noted that their late-night high-intensity workouts may not be as helpful as they thought.
“At night they feel tired but wired, don’t have a great night of sleep,” she said. “By being able to see that their cortisol curve is dysregulated with higher levels in the evening, [they can] prioritize lower intensity exercise in the evening or do it earlier in the day.”
Cortisol testing is slated to be fully available to the public at the end of September.
Eli Health also plans to launch its testing system for the fertility hormone progesterone — which regulates the menstrual cycle and influences mood, sleep and energy — in the fall.
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