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Do
You NEED Relacore®?
by ©Karen Green
We are being told through TV commercials that we NEED a newly
introduced product that promises to “reduce belly fat”
and relieve stress. According to them, the culprit for anyone
with belly fat and stress is a nasty little chemical produced
naturally in the bodies of all of us, namely “cortisol.”
Before
you run out and spend good money on this product there is something
you should know about this “nasty” chemical that is
supposedly ruining your figure and robbing you of restful sleep:
You NEED CORTISOL and Relacore® is nothing more than a glorified
B-vitamin supplement.
Does
Relacore® Block Cortisol?
If this product were capable of blocking or suppressing Cortisol
in our bodies, it would not be available without a prescription.
In fact, the blocking or suppression of Cortisol could be extremely
hazardous to our health. Yet the ads for Relacore® claim that
it will “Reduce Cortisol Production.”
This
statement leads one to believe that this product will somehow
block or suppress the body’s natural production of Cortisol
by acting on the hormone itself. Nothing could be further from
the truth. In reality, Relacore® acts as a mild “mood
enhancer” to reduce the stress that causes the production
of Cortisol.
In
reality, Relacor® (which bills itself as the only full strength,
broad spectrum Relacortin formula available in the USA) is simply
a glorified B-vitamin complex. In that capacity, it really could
reduce stress, which ultimately could lead to a reduction in belly
fat. But it does not block Cortisol.
What
is in Relacore?
Here is a list of the ingredients in this popular product. You
will notice that all of the ingredients are B-vitamins with the
exception of Vitamin C, calcium and magnesium.
Vitamin C: 333mg
Calcium: 21.5
Thiamin: (Vitamin B1): 5mg
Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 7mg
Vitamin B6: 17mg
Vitamin B12: 3.5mg
Biotin: (Vitamin B7) 150mcg
Pantothenic Acid: (Vitamin B5) 7.8mg
Magnesium: 67mg
Is
Relacore® something new, revolutionary or earthshaking? No.
But they sure have made me curious about Cortisol and the role
it plays in our bodies.
What
is Cortisol?
Cortisol is normally produced by the adrenal glands, located just
above the kidneys. It belongs to a class of hormones called glucocorticoids,
which affect almost every organ and tissue in the body. Scientists
think that cortisol has possibly hundreds of effects in the body.
Cortisol's most important job is to help the body respond to stress.
Among its other vital tasks, cortisol:
--helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function;
--helps slow the immune system's inflammatory response;
--helps balance the effects of insulin in breaking down sugar
for energy; and
--helps regulate the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and
fats.
Because
cortisol is so vital to health, the amount of cortisol
produced by the adrenals is precisely balanced. Like many other
hormones, cortisol is regulated by the brain's hypothalamus and
the pituitary gland, a bean-sized organ at the base of the brain.
First, the hypothalamus sends "releasing hormones" to
the pituitary gland. The pituitary responds by secreting other
hormones that regulate growth, thyroid and adrenal function, and
sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
One
of the pituitary's main functions is to secrete ACTH (adrenocorticotropin),
a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands. When the adrenals
receive the pituitary's signal in the form of ACTH, they respond
by producing cortisol. Completing the cycle, cortisol then signals
the pituitary to lower secretion of ACTH.
Normally,
cortisol levels rise and fall during the day, repeating a 24-hour
cycle (diurnal variation). Highest levels are at about 6-8 a.m.
and lowest levels are at about midnight. Physical and emotional
stress can increase serum cortisol, because a normal response
to stress involves increased secretion of ACTH by the pituitary
gland.
http://www.seekwellness.com/conditions/addisons.htm
Why
Reduce Cortisol? It appears we need it.
Evaluate this: Physical and emotional stress increases the
release of cortisol in your body. Why? If stress increases Cortisol
would it not make sense that Cortisol release is designed to defend
us against the effects of physical and emotional stress? A healthy
body does not use its naturally-produced substances to harm us,
but rather to defend us.
Why
then, would we want to reduce the production of Cortisol?
The answer is that, unfortunately for us, our body’s idea
of how to respond to physical and emotional stress is to store
fat. The more extreme and prolonged the stress, the more fat
we store (and usually, the more food we eat). And guess where
we store those excess stress-related pounds of fat? Exactly! The
belly.
Cortisol
is the messenger that tells our bodies to store this fat. So in
essence we are “killing the messenger” if we block the
production of Cortisol. Relacore® does not block cortisol.
It can, however, help reduce stress, which is the “trigger”
for our bodies to produce cortisol.
Cortisol
and Other Hormones Roles May Yet to be Discovered
All of the glands in our body are connected through the endocrine
system. This system is so intricate and so interrelated to other
systems in our bodies that researchers may never discover, isolate
and determine all of those relationships.
Cortisol
is just one of the hundreds (probably thousands, if we knew them
all) of chemical substances produced by our bodies. Cortisol is
produced by the adrenal gland and the production of Cortisol involves
at least two other glands in our endocrine system – the pituitary
(often referred to as the Master Gland) and the hypothalamus.
We
know that individuals with low Cortisol levels can develop
Addison’s disease which is treated by the use of Cortisol
in the sufferer. This treatment, for most patients, will last
the rest of their lives. One of the most famous sufferers of Addison’s
disease was United States President John F. Kennedy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addison's_disease
Hormone-Blocking
Drugs are Not Sold “Over the Counter”
The term hormone and the term “steroid” can correctly
be used interchangeably. All hormones are steroids and all steroids
are hormones. Knowing that, one can begin to develop an appreciation
for the use of hormones and the abuse of hormones. Just like Steroids,
hormone-blockers are not sold “over the counter.” There
is a reason for this: They alter the normal processes in our
bodies.
An
anti-hormone drug that you may recognize is called Tamoxifen.
It is used in breast cancer patients as a follow-up treatment
after surgery and/or radiation. While it is taken orally it is
classified as a form of chemotherapy because of its function.
Some
of the possible side effects of tamoxifen are allergic reaction,
stroke, blood clots in the lungs, blood clots in the brain, breast
lumps, bone pain and more.
http://health.yahoo.com/drug/d00381a1
As
you can see, a drug whose only function is to block the production
of the hormone estrogen can have possible deadly side effects.
Most of these same side effects are listed for the use of oral
contraceptives, which also interfere with the production of hormones
in women.
Another
anti-hormone drug is used in men following treatment for prostate
cancer. It suppresses the male hormone testosterone (the original
anabolic steroid). There are others which block thyroid hormones
in people with hyperthyroidism.
Anti-hormones
can be invaluable to those who are suffering from the effects
of overproduction of hormones or when a condition such as cancer
requires that the hormones be suppressed for medical reasons.
Anti-hormones are serious intervention in processes that occur
at the very core of bodies – processes that are just beginning
to be understood by qualified medical researchers.
Low
levels of hormones, whether naturally occurring or induced by
blocking drugs, can spell problems in the form of autoimmune disorders.
Most often this is manifested as an increase in allergies, muscle
aches and pains, fatigue and depressed mental activity.
Extremely
low Cortisol levels can produce a potentially life-threatening
addisonian crisis.
http://www.seekwellness.com/conditions/addisons.htm
Conclusions:
1.
Yes. Cortisol is related to the retention of belly fat and stress.
Retaining belly fat is the body’s natural way to deal with
stress. It is the “store it because you may need it”
way to defend us from what the body perceives as a possible life-threatening
situation – ongoing, prolonged stress.
2.
No. Cortisol is not the “nasty little chemical” it is
made out to be. It is only doing its job as part of a highly
sophisticated endocrine system. Without Cortisol, we could suffer
significant damage to our bodies and even death (as in the case
of Addison’s). Therefore, Relacore® does not block or
suppress Cortisol.
3.
Is Relacore® safe? Yes, for the vast majority of people.
It is simply a vitamin, mineral supplement.
4.
Does it work? In most people it probably will reduce stress
which may ultimately reduce belly fat. The B-vitamins it contains
can also help alleviate many other conditions. So for the vast
majority of people, it probably will help. At the very least,
most users will probably experience the “mood enhancing”
benefits it promises. As with any supplement, however, you should
talk to a medical professional before using the product.
5.
Do your need Relacore®? If you use a quality multi-vitamin/mineral
supplement, you are already consuming the ingredients in Relacore®
and probably in even better dosages than this product claims.
6.
The secret to reducing belly fat is to reduce the stress.
The secret to reducing stress rests with a group of vitamins that
are truly indispensable to our well-being – B vitamins. Because
of our modern lifestyles, many of us are literally “running
on empty” when it comes to these crucial “stress reducers.”
While they do not receive the benefit of media exposure like Relacore®,
they can quietly work miracles in our lives.
| About
the Author: Karen Green is a former owner and publisher
of a weekly newspaper in Pennsylvania. She currently writes
training and researches Internet marketing for AutomaticBuilder,
which promotes Nutronix International, a global wellness network.
They are currently offering a 30-day supply of Sublingual
(oral) B-12 free ($2.95 S&H) with a free 30-day “get
acquainted” membership in the AutomaticBuilder/Nutronix
business. Her website, http://www.b12connection.com
offers a brief overview of this opportunity. In addition she
offers the Nutronix products at wholesale at her website,
http://www.shopnutronix.com/whollyhealth |
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