How To Understand Adrenal Gland Function

The adrenal glands serve a number of important purposes in the body. They help regulate our glucose levels, supply us with needed sex hormones and provide us the ability to cope with stress.

1. The adrenal glands produce important hormones that keep us healthy. There are several vital hormones produced by the adrenal glands that carry out essential functions. The hormone "cortisol" is the one that the adrenal gland sends out into the body, to help regulate our glucose (blood sugar) levels, which means it works alongside the pancreatic hormone "insulin" to accomplish this. Cortisol is also our body's natural anti-inflammatory and helps to regulate inflammation that can arise due to injuries, allergies and disease processes that may occur.
   Another vital hormone produced by the adrenal glands is "DHEA." This one is produced and released into the body, so that it can convert into needed sex hormones. The sex hormones include testosterone and estrogen. Men and women both carry these hormones, only in different balances.
2. The outer portion of the adrenal gland is called the "adrenal cortex." This outer layer of the gland is the one responsible for producing and releasing "corticosteroids." These hormones include the one mentioned above (called cortisol) but also includes a variant of cortisol called "mineral corticosteroid." In addition to the purposes described in step one, corticosteroids also serve to regulate the body's blood pressure, which changes throughout the day according to our physical activities and according to changes in our body's position (postural blood pressure).
3. The inner portion of the adrenal gland is called the "medulla." This is the core of the gland that is surrounded by the cortex and is the area of the adrenal glands that produces DHEA, the hormone that converts into the sex hormones. The medulla also produces the major "fight or flight" hormone called "adrenaline," which is sent out into the body at times we are in need of sudden added strength to run from danger, fight off an attacker or to perform an important task. Once the medulla sends the body a surge of adrenaline, it will also calm the body down, by clearing out the adrenaline by providing a counter hormone called "noradrenaline."
4. A major purpose of the adrenal glands is to protect the body from the effects of stress. This is yet another purpose for the cortisol hormone, which is referred to in medical research as the "stress hormone." Our bodies experience ongoing stress (stressors) throughout the day with normal activities, such as work, school, exercise, playing sports, and anything else that places a demand of any kind upon the mind and body. In addition to normal stress, the adrenal hormone cortisol also protects our body against the harmful effects of traumatic stressors, such as accidents causing physical injury and illnesses of any kind. Without this stress-moderating help from the adrenal glands, traumatic or chronic stressors would allow the body to succumb to shock and possibly death.
5. Adrenal glands function as a result of the "HPA Axis." This is the term describing the "Hypothalamus Pituitary and Adrenal" glands and these endocrine glands work together in regulating adrenal hormones in the body that are described in the first four steps above. The hypothalamus first sends a hormone called "Cortitropin Releasing Hormone" (CRH) to the pituitary gland. This prompts the pituitary gland to send a hormone to the adrenal gland called "Adrenocorticotropic Hormone" (ACTH), which then stimulates the adrenal glands to release their own hormones that will then circulate and fulfill their own important purposes throughout the body.

These five steps describe some of the functions of the adrenals but only cover a portion of the many important functions of these important endocrine glands. We owe a debt of gratitude to these two grape-size organs that sit upon our two kidneys and help keep us healthy throughout our lives.